Electrical connection body and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection body that can be used to connect bus bars to form a variety of bus bar circuit members without increasing the size, and a method for manufacturing the electrical connection body. [Solution] In an electrical connection box (1) comprising plate-shaped busbar circuit bodies (31-35) having a predetermined width, a retaining case (10) and a lower cover (20) that hold the busbar circuit bodies (31-35), the busbar circuit bodies (31, 32) are provided with a plurality of busbars (41-47), and portions of the plurality of busbars (41-47) are overlapped to form a joint (50) joined by laser welding.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connection unit, such as an electrical junction box or terminal block, having a plate-shaped bus bar circuit member having a predetermined width, for use in a vehicle such as an automobile, and a method for manufacturing the electrical connection unit. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a driving force, power is supplied to the motor from an inverter, and therefore electrical connectors such as an electrical junction box and a terminal block are provided to electrically connect the motor and the inverter.

[0003] Such electrical connectors are provided with multiple bus bars of different shapes, and power distribution components such as wire harnesses are connected to both ends of the bus bars to form a circuit. Specifically, bus bars with shapes corresponding to the current and path to be passed are provided, requiring multiple types of bus bars.

[0004] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical junction box in which a bus bar is divided and fastened with fastening members, which is thought to enable bus bars of various shapes to be formed. However, since the connecting portions are fastened with fastening members, it is necessary to house the fastening members as well, which poses a problem of increasing the size of the case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-068631 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection body that can be used to form a variety of bus bar circuit members by connecting bus bars and that does not increase in size, and a method for manufacturing the electrical connection body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a busbar circuit member including a plate-shaped busbar circuit member having a predetermined width and a holding member for holding the busbar circuit member, the busbar circuit member including a plurality of busbars, and a joint portion formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of busbars and joining them by laser welding. the holding member is provided with holding portions that hold the plurality of bus bars that constitute the bus bar circuit member, the bus bar circuit member is provided with fixing pieces that protrude in a thickness direction of the plate and are inserted into the holding portions and held, the bus bar circuit member is provided with a portion whose plate width direction is along an insertion direction in which the fixing pieces are inserted into the holding portions and a portion whose plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction, and the fixing pieces are provided at the portion whose plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction. It is characterized by being an electrical connector.

[0008] The present invention provides a busbar circuit member including a plate-shaped busbar circuit member having a predetermined width and a holding member for holding the busbar circuit member, the busbar circuit member including a plurality of busbars, and a joint portion formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of busbars and joining them by laser welding. The holding member is provided with holding portions that hold the plurality of bus bars that constitute the bus bar circuit member, and the bus bar circuit member is provided with a portion whose plate width direction is along an insertion direction in which the bus bar circuit member is inserted into the holding portion and a portion whose plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction, and the holding portion is groove-shaped so that the portion whose plate width direction is along the insertion direction is inserted, and a plurality of ribs along the insertion direction are provided at predetermined intervals on the inner surface of the groove, and the ribs grip the portion whose plate width direction is along the insertion direction. It is characterized by being an electrical connector.

[0009] The present invention provides a busbar circuit member including a plate-shaped busbar circuit member having a predetermined width and a holding member for holding the busbar circuit member, the busbar circuit member including a plurality of busbars, and a joint portion formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of busbars and joining them by laser welding. a plurality of the busbar circuit members are provided, and the holding member is provided with a plurality of holding portions that hold the plurality of bus bars that constitute each of the busbar circuit members; the busbar circuit members have a portion whose plate width direction is along an insertion direction in which they are inserted into the holding portions and a portion whose plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction; any of the busbar circuit members has a fixing piece that protrudes in the thickness direction of the plate and is inserted into and held by the holding portion, and the fixing piece is provided at the portion whose plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction; the holding portion that holds another of the busbar circuit members has a groove shape into which the portion whose plate width direction is along the insertion direction is inserted; and a plurality of ribs that are provided along the insertion direction at predetermined intervals on an inner surface of the groove and that grip the portion whose plate width direction is along the insertion direction are provided with the ribs. It is characterized by being an electrical connector.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an electrical connection assembly including a plate-shaped busbar circuit member having a predetermined width and a holding member that holds the busbar circuit member, wherein the busbars are held by the holding member, and portions of the busbars are overlapped and the overlapped portions are joined together by laser welding to form the busbar circuit member.

[0011] The electrical connector includes an electrical connection box such as a junction box and a terminal block. The part of the bus bar described above may be an end portion or a middle portion of a band-shaped bus bar having a predetermined width.

[0012] The holding portions that hold the respective bus bars described above may be configured to hold each of the bus bars at a location different from the portion that constitutes the joint, or may be configured to collectively hold the overlapping portions that constitute the joint.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to configure a variety of bus bar circuit members by connecting bus bars, thereby configuring an electrical connection body that does not become large in size. More specifically, plate-shaped busbar circuit members each having a predetermined width are joined at joints formed by overlapping portions of a plurality of busbars and laser welding them together. This eliminates the need for a holding member that holds the busbar circuit members to accommodate fastening members that are used to fasten the busbars to form the busbar circuit members, thereby preventing the electrical connection body from becoming larger.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, the holding member is provided with holding portions that hold each of the plurality of bus bars that constitute the bus bar circuit member. Therefore, the bus bar circuit member can be firmly fixed to the holding member.

[0015] Furthermore, because each of the multiple bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member can be fixed to the holding member by the holding portion, the bus bar circuit member can be constructed by joining the bus bars by laser welding while the bus bars are held by the holding member. Therefore, compared to a case where the bus bar circuit member in which the multiple bus bars are pre-joined by laser welding is attached to the holding member, a jig for joining the multiple bus bars is not required, and the step of placing the bus bars in the jig and the step of attaching the bus bar circuit member to the holding member can be performed in a single step, thereby efficiently constructing the electrical connection body.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the holding portion may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the joint portion. According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the welding heat generated when the joint is joined by laser welding from affecting the holding portion, and it is possible to accurately position the bus bar circuit member at a predetermined position on the holding member.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention, a space may be provided in a portion of the holding member facing the joint portion. According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the welding heat generated when joining the joints by laser welding from affecting the holding member, and it is possible to accurately position the bus bar circuit member at a predetermined position on the holding member.

[0018] As another aspect of the present invention, any one of the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member may be a thick bus bar having a plate thickness greater than that of the other bus bars. According to the present invention, it is possible to configure the busbar circuit member in which the thickness of the busbar circuit member varies partially, thereby enabling, for example, the configuration of the busbar circuit member in which busbars having appropriate thicknesses according to the current passing therethrough are partially arranged.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the thick bus bar may be disposed on the holding member side at the joint where the bus bars are partially overlapped. According to this invention, the joint portion can be reliably joined by laser welding.

[0020] In more detail, since the heat capacity of the portion of the busbar that constitutes the joint is smaller than the heat capacity of the portion of the thick plate busbar, when the thick plate busbar is positioned on the side of the holding member, the laser is irradiated onto the busbar before the thick plate busbar when laser welding is performed from the opposite side of the holding member, and the joint where a portion of the busbar and a portion of the thick plate busbar overlap can be reliably joined by laser welding.

[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, of the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member, the bus bar arranged on the holding member side of the joint portion may have a larger area than the other bus bars.

[0022] The bus bar arranged on the side of the holding member described above has a larger area than the other bus bars, regardless of the size of the overall area of ​​the bus bar, as long as the area affected by the heat from laser welding is large.

[0023] According to this invention, the joint portion can be reliably joined by laser welding. In more detail, the bus bar with a larger area has a larger heat capacity, and since the bus bar with a larger area is positioned closer to the holding member, the joint can be reliably joined by laser welding.

[0024] As another aspect of the present invention, the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member may include plated bus bars in which the surface of a plate-shaped conductor is plated, and non-plated bus bars in which the surface of the conductor is not plated.

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to configure a desired busbar circuit component by partially using the plated busbar, for example, by configuring the connection portion for connecting the power distribution member with the plated busbar and configuring the other portion with the non-plated busbar.

[0026] In another aspect of the present invention, the bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member may be made of a conductive metal, and any one of the bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member may be made of a metal type different from that of the other bus bars.

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to configure a variety of busbar circuit components that satisfy desired performance requirements, such as configuring a busbar circuit component in which busbars made of metal with high specific heat and electrical conductivity are partially arranged.

[0028] In another aspect of the present invention, the holding member may be formed in a box shape by a holding case having an opening and a cover portion that closes the opening, and the bus bar circuit member may be disposed in the holding case. According to the present invention, it is possible to configure an electrical junction box having a holding case that is not large in size by connecting bus bars to configure a variety of bus bar circuit members.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the busbar circuit members may be provided, and in the plurality of busbar circuit members, any of the busbars constituting the busbar circuit members may have the same shape. According to this invention, the bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member can be made into common components, thereby reducing the number of components.

[0030] In another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the busbar circuit members may be provided, and at least some of the plurality of busbar circuit members may be arranged spaced apart in the overlapping direction in which the busbars are overlapped. According to the present invention, the bus bar circuit members can be routed along various paths, and therefore a variety of electrical connectors can be configured.

[0031] In another aspect of the present invention, the holding member may be formed in a box shape by a holding case having an opening and a cover portion that closes the opening, and at least one of the plurality of bus bar circuit members may be disposed in the holding case. According to the present invention, it is possible to configure a variety of bus bar circuit members by connecting bus bars, thereby configuring an electrical junction box that does not become large in size.

[0032] As another aspect of the present invention, the holding member may be arranged such that at least one of the plurality of bus bar circuit members is disposed on a side of the cover portion facing the opening. According to the present invention, the bus bar circuit members can be routed along various paths, and therefore a variety of electrical junction boxes can be constructed.

[0033] Furthermore, even when the busbar circuit member is configured in multiple layers in the holding member with the cover portion attached to the holding case, at least one of the plurality of busbar circuit members is arranged on the side of the cover portion facing the opening in the cover portion. Therefore, the busbar circuit member arranged in the holding case and the busbar circuit member arranged in the cover portion can be configured by joining the busbars together by irradiating a laser from one direction by removing the cover portion from the holding case and changing its orientation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrical connection body that can be used to connect bus bars to form a variety of bus bar circuit members without increasing the size, and a method for manufacturing the electrical connection body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the electrical junction box with the lower cover removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electrical junction box. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electrical junction box. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the holding case with the lower cover removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the attachment of the bus bar circuit group to the holding case. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the attachment of the bus bar circuit group to the holding case. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the attachment of the bus bar circuit group to the holding case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. An electrical junction box 1 of this embodiment connects an auxiliary device such as a motor to a power source such as an inverter in a vehicle such as an automobile. Such an electrical junction box 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0037] Figure 1 shows an oblique view of the electrical junction box 1 as seen from the bottom side, Figure 2 shows a bottom view of the electrical junction box 1 with the lower cover 20 removed, and Figures 3 and 4 show explanatory cross-sectional views of the electrical junction box 1.

[0038] Specifically, Fig. 3(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2, and Fig. 3(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2. Fig. 4(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 2. 1, 3 and 4, the lower cover 20 is shown in a see-through state.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the holding case 10 with the lower cover 20 removed, and FIGS. 6 to 8 show perspective views for explaining the attachment of the bus bar circuit group 30 to the holding case 10. FIG. 6 is a perspective view from the bottom side of the state in which bus bars 41 and 43 constituting bus bar circuit body 31 and bus bars 44 and 45 constituting bus bar circuit body 32 are attached to holding case 10. FIG.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view from the bottom side of a state in which the bus bar 42 constituting the bus bar circuit body 31 and the bus bar 46 constituting the bus bar circuit body 32 are attached to the holding case 10, and FIG. 8 shows a perspective view from the bottom side of a state in which the bus bar 47 constituting the bus bar circuit body 32 and the bus bar circuit bodies 33, 34, and 35 are attached to the holding case 10. 3 and 4, the fuse 51 and the post 53 are omitted from the illustration.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical connection box 1 is composed of a holding case 10 with an open lower side Hd, a lower cover 20 that covers the opening on the lower side Hd of the holding case 10, and a busbar circuit group 30 that is arranged inside the box-shaped structure formed by the holding case 10 and the lower cover 20.

[0042] 1, the direction connecting the upper left and lower right is the width direction W, the direction connecting the upper right and lower left is the depth direction D, and the up-down direction is the height direction H. In addition, in FIG. 1, the lower right side is the right side in the width direction Wf in the width direction W, and the upper left side is the left side in the width direction Ws in the width direction W. In the depth direction D, the front side (the lower left side in FIG. 1) is the front side Df, and the back side (the upper right side in FIG. 1) is the back side Db. In addition, in FIGS. 1 to 8, since the busbar circuit group 30 is attached to the holding case 10 from the bottom side Hd, as will be described later, the busbar circuit group 30 is illustrated upside down in the figure, in other words, in the direction in which it is attached to the holding case 10 from the top side to the bottom side, and in the height direction H, the top side is the bottom side Hd, and the bottom side is the top side Hu. The above directions are set for the sake of convenience in the following description, and do not limit the mounting direction of the electrical junction box 1 on the vehicle body.

[0043] The holding case 10 is a resin box-shaped body that is longer in the width direction W than in the depth direction D, shorter in the height direction H, and has an open lower side Hd, and the upper surface of the upper side Hu of the holding case 10 is provided with a plurality of connector mounting ports 11 into which connectors for connecting power distribution members to the electrical junction box 1 are attached from the outside (see FIG. 3).The upper surface of the holding case 10 also has post openings 13 into which posts 53 electrically connected to fuses 51 in a busbar circuit group 30 (described later) are disposed (see FIG. 5).

[0044] 5, connector mounting openings 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged side by side in the depth direction D from the rear side Db to the front side Df near the center of the width direction W of the holding case 10. Further to the rear side Db of the connector mounting opening 11a, connector mounting openings 11d and 11e are arranged on both sides of the connector mounting opening 11a in the width direction W.

[0045] Post arrangement sections 15 for arranging posts 53 are arranged on both sides of the connector mounting opening 11c in the width direction W so that they are exposed on the front side Df. The post arrangement sections 15 are provided in a total of four locations: two on the right side Wf ​​of the connector mounting opening 11c in the width direction and two on the left side Ws of the connector mounting opening 11c in the width direction, and are named post arrangement sections 15a, 15b, 15c, and 15d from the right side Wf ​​in the width direction to the left side Ws in the width direction.

[0046] Post openings 13a and 13b are provided on the right side Wf ​​in the width direction of the connector mounting openings 11a and 11b, and post openings 13c, 13d, 13e, and 13f are arranged on the left side Ws in the width direction. Inside the connector mounting port 11, through-holes 12 (12a to 12e) are provided, through which connection tabs 36 are inserted from the lower side Hd to the upper side Hu so that connection tabs 36 in a bus bar circuit group 30, which will be described later, can be seen from above (see FIG. 5). Inside the post opening 13, through-holes 14 (14a to 14f) are provided, through which posts 53 are inserted from the lower side Hd to the upper side Hu so that the posts 53 can be seen from above (see FIG. 5).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the inside of the holding case 10 is provided with a plurality of ribs and fixing holes 56 into which fixing pieces 55 (described later) are inserted to fix the busbar circuit groups 30, forming circuit body arrangement sections 16 (17, 18, 19a to 19c) that hold and arrange the busbar circuit groups 30 (see FIG. 5). The circuit body arrangement portion 16 will be described in detail below after the bus bar circuit group 30 has been described.

[0048] The lower cover 20 is formed in the same shape as the holding case 10 in a plan view, and is formed to a predetermined thickness by ribs arranged in a substantially lattice pattern. The lower cover 20 formed in this manner covers the opening on the lower side Hd of the holding case 10 and fixes the busbar circuit group 30 arranged in the circuit body arrangement section 16 of the holding case 10 so as to sandwich it together with the holding case 10 from the height direction H.

[0049] Next, the bus bar circuit group 30 arranged inside the holding case 10 and the lower cover 20 in the electrical junction box 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The busbar circuit group 30 includes busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 that electrically connect the connector mounting port 11, the posts 53 mounted in the post openings 13, and the posts 53 arranged in the post arrangement section 15, or combinations thereof.

[0050] The busbar circuit body 31 is a busbar circuit body that electrically connects the connector mounting port 11a, a post 53 that is attached to a post opening 13a located on the right side Wf ​​of the connector mounting port 11a in the width direction, a post 53 that is attached to a post opening 13c that is located on the left side Ws of the connector mounting port 11a in the width direction, and a post 53 that is attached to a post opening 13e that is located further to the left side Ws of that in the width direction.

[0051] The busbar circuit body 32 is a busbar circuit body that electrically connects the connector mounting port 11b in the center in the width direction W, the connector mounting port 11c arranged on the front side Df of the connector mounting port 11b, the connector mounting port 11e on the left side Ws and the rear side Db in the width direction, and the posts 53 arranged in the post arrangement portions 15b, 15c on both sides of the connector mounting port 11c.

[0052] The busbar circuit body 33 is a busbar circuit body that electrically connects the connector mounting opening 11d on the right side Wf ​​and the rear side Db in the width direction to the post 53 that is mounted in the post opening 13b on the right side Wf ​​and the front side Df in the width direction.

[0053] The busbar circuit body 34 is a busbar circuit body that electrically connects the post 53 attached to the post opening 13f located on the left side Ws in the width direction with the post 53 located in the post arrangement portion 15d on the left side Ws in the width direction and the front side Df.

[0054] The busbar circuit body 35 is a busbar circuit body that electrically connects the post 53 attached to the post opening 13d located between the post opening 13f and the connector mounting port 11b with the post 53 located in the post arrangement portion 15a on the right side Wf ​​and the front side Df in the width direction.

[0055] The busbar circuit assemblies 31 to 35 will be described in detail below. As described above, the busbar circuit body 31 electrically connects the connector mounting port 11a, the post 53 attached to the post opening 13a located on the right side Wf ​​of the connector mounting port 11a in the width direction, the post 53 attached to the post opening 13c located on the left side Ws of the connector mounting port 11a in the width direction, and the post 53 attached to the post opening 13e located on the left side Ws of that in the width direction, and is formed by joining busbars 41 to 43.

[0056] As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the bus bar 41 that constitutes the bus bar circuit body 31 extends along the width direction W that connects the post openings 13c and 13e, and is strip-shaped with its plate width direction aligned with the depth direction D, and is provided with mounting holes 54 at both ends for mounting posts 53.

[0057] 2 and 7 , the busbar 42 constituting the busbar circuit body 31 includes a first portion 421 whose plate width direction is aligned with the height direction H and extends along the width direction W; a second portion 422 bent from an end of the left side Ws of the first portion 421 toward the rear side Db; a third portion 423 bent from a lower portion of the rear side Db of the second portion 422 toward the left side Ws in the width direction; a fourth portion 424 bent from an upper end portion of a middle portion of the first portion 421 toward the rear side Db; and a fifth portion 425 bent from a lower end of the right side Wf ​​of the first portion 421 toward the rear side Db and extending toward the right side Wf ​​in the width direction. The fifth portion 425 is provided with an attachment hole 54 for attaching a post 53. A fixing piece 55 bent toward the upper side Hu is provided on the front side Df of the fifth portion 425.

[0058] 2 and 6, the bus bar 43 constituting the bus bar circuit body 31 has a first portion 431 whose plate width direction is along the depth direction D, and a second portion 432 formed by bending the left side Ws of the first portion 431 in the width direction toward the upper side Hu and constituting the connection tab 36a arranged in the connector attachment opening 11a. The first portion 431 is formed wider than the fourth portion 424 that is joined together by overlapping them in the height direction H.

[0059] Busbars 41 and 42 are made of metal plates of the same thickness, and busbar 43 is a thick-plate busbar made of a metal plate that is thicker than busbars 41 and 42. Busbars 41 to 43 constituting busbar circuit body 31 are made of metal plates of the same metal type and are non-plated busbars whose surfaces are not plated.

[0060] The bus bars 41 to 43 configured as described above are joined together as an integrated unit. Specifically, the third portion 423 of bus bar 42 is joined in the height direction H to the vicinity of the center of bus bar 41 in the width direction W by overlapping and laser welding to form joint 50a, thereby integrating bus bars 41 and 42 (see the enlarged view of part a in FIG. 2a). In addition, the fourth portion 424 of bus bar 42 and the first portion 431 of bus bar 43 are joined in the height direction H by overlapping and laser welding to form joint 50b (see the enlarged view of part b in FIG. 2b), thereby integrating bus bars 42 and 43.

[0061] In addition, the laser welding for joining joint 50 involves wobbing the irradiated laser beam to form a weld mark in the shape of a substantially square frame with a predetermined width, as shown in the enlarged views of part a and part b in Fig. 2. In this way, by wobbling the irradiated laser beam, the weld mark has a predetermined width, which improves the weld strength, reduces spatter, and ensures reliable joining, thereby ensuring reliable conductivity.

[0062] The busbar circuit body 31, in which the busbars 41 to 43 are joined at the joints 50 (50a, 50b), has mounting holes 54 for mounting posts 53 that are attached to the post openings 13a, 13c, 13e, and a connection tab 36 that is attached to the through hole 12a of the connector mounting port 11a.

[0063] As described above, the busbar circuit body 32 electrically connects the connector mounting port 11b in the center in the width direction W, the connector mounting port 11c arranged on the front side Df of the connector mounting port 11b, the connector mounting port 11e on the left side Ws and the rear side Db in the width direction, and the posts 53 arranged in the post arrangement sections 15b, 15c on both sides of the connector mounting port 11c, and is formed by joining busbars 44 to 47.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the busbar 44 constituting the busbar circuit body 32 has the same configuration as the busbar 43 constituting the busbar circuit body 31, and includes a first portion 441 whose plate width direction is along the depth direction D, and a second portion 442 formed by bending the left side Ws of the first portion 441 in the width direction toward the upper side Hu and constituting the connection tab 36b to be placed in the connector mounting port 11b.

[0065] As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the bus bar 45 constituting the bus bar circuit body 32 has a first portion 451 whose plate width direction is along the height direction H and extends along the depth direction D, a second portion 452 bent from the lower end of the rear side Db of the first portion 451 toward the right side Wf ​​in the width direction, a third portion 453 bent from the end of the right side Wf ​​of the second portion 452 toward the upper side Hu in the width direction and constituting the connection tab 36e, and a fourth portion 454 bent from the upper end portion of the front side Df of the first portion 451 toward the left side Ws in the width direction.

[0066] 2 and 7 , the bus bar 46 constituting the bus bar circuit body 32 has a first portion 461 whose plate width direction is aligned with the height direction H and extending along the width direction W, a second portion 462 bent from an upper end of the left side Ws of the first portion 461 toward the rear side Db, a third portion 463 bent from a lower end of the right side Wf ​​of the width direction W of the first portion 461 toward the rear side Db and extending on the right side Wf ​​in the width direction, and a fourth portion 464 bent at an end on the front side Df in the middle of the third portion 463 in the width direction W toward the upper side Hu and constituting the connection tab 36c. An attachment hole 54 for attaching a post 53 is provided at an end on the right side Wf ​​of the width direction of the fourth portion 464.

[0067] 2 and 8, the busbar 47 constituting the busbar circuit body 32 is configured as a plate whose width direction is along the width direction W and which extends in the depth direction D. More specifically, the busbar 47 has a first portion 471 on the front side Df, a second portion 472 bent toward the lower side Hd on the depth side Db of the first portion 471, a third portion 473 extending obliquely toward the right side Wf ​​in the width direction and the depth side Db on the depth side Db of the second portion 472, and a fourth portion 474 bent toward the depth side Db on the depth side Db of the third portion 473.

[0068] The first portion 441 of the busbar 44, which is overlapped and joined to the fourth portion 474 in the height direction H, is formed to be wider than the fourth portion 474. The busbars 45 to 47 are made of metal plates of the same thickness, and the busbar 44 is a thick-plate busbar made of a metal plate that is thicker than the busbars 45 to 47. The busbars 44 to 47 that constitute the busbar circuit body 32 are made of metal plates of the same metal type as the busbars 41 to 43 that constitute the busbar circuit body 31, and are non-plated busbars whose surfaces are not plated.

[0069] Bus bars 44 to 47 configured as described above are joined together as an integrated unit. Specifically, the second portion 462 of bus bar 46 is overlapped with the third portion 453 of bus bar 45 in the height direction H and joined by laser welding to form joint 50c, which integrates bus bars 45 and 46 (see the enlarged view of part c in FIG. 2).

[0070] The fourth portion 474 at the innermost side Db of the bus bar 47 is overlapped with the first portion 441 of the bus bar 44 in the height direction H and joined by laser welding to form a joint 50d, integrating the bus bars 44 and 47 (see the enlarged view of part d in Figure 2d).

[0071] Furthermore, the first part 471 of the busbar 47 is overlapped in the height direction H at a location in the third part 463 of the busbar 46 corresponding to the fourth part 464, i.e., the rear side Db of the fourth part 464 in the third part 463, and joined by laser welding to form a joint 50e, thereby integrating the busbars 46 and 47.

[0072] The busbar circuit body 32 in which the busbars 44 to 47 are joined at the joints 50 (50c, 50d, 50e) has connection tabs 36 (36b, 36c, 36e) that are attached to the through holes 12b, 12c, 12e of the connector mounting ports 11b, 11c, 11e, and mounting holes 54 that mount posts 53 that are arranged in the post arrangement portions 15b, 15c on both sides of the connector mounting port 11c.

[0073] The busbar circuit body 33 electrically connects the connector mounting port 11d on the right side Wf ​​and the rear side Db in the width direction to the post 53 attached to the post opening 13b on the right side Wf ​​and the front side Df in the width direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the busbar circuit body 33 has a first portion 331 whose plate width direction is along the height direction H and extends along the depth direction D, a second portion 332 bent from an upper end of the front side Df of the first portion 331 toward the left side Ws in the width direction, a third portion 333 bent from an upper end of the rear side Db of the first portion 331 toward the left side Ws in the width direction and extending to the left side Ws and the rear side Db in the width direction, and a fourth portion 334 bent from the rear side Db of the third portion 333 to the upper side Hu and constituting the connection tab 36d.

[0074] The second portion 332 is provided with a mounting hole 54 for mounting the post 53. The second portion 332 is provided on the back side Db with a fixing piece 55 bent toward the upper side Hu.

[0075] The busbar circuit body 34 electrically connects the post 53 attached to the post opening 13f located on the left side Ws in the width direction with the post 53 located in the post arrangement portion 15d on the left side Ws in the width direction and the front side Df, and is strip-shaped with its plate width direction aligned with the width direction W and extending in the depth direction D, as shown in Figures 2 and 8, and has a portion in the middle of the depth direction D that extends obliquely toward the right side Wf ​​in the width direction and the back side Db.

[0076] The busbar circuit body 34 having such a shape has mounting holes 54 at both ends in the depth direction D, into which the posts 53 are attached. In addition, a fixing piece 55 bent toward the upper side Hu is provided on the front side Df and the right side Wf ​​in the width direction of the busbar circuit body 34.

[0077] The busbar circuit body 35 electrically connects the post 53 attached to the post opening 13d located between the post opening 13f and the connector mounting port 11b with the post 53 located in the post arrangement portion 15a on the right side Wf ​​and the front side Df in the width direction, and has a first portion 351 extending along the width direction W with the plate width direction aligned with the depth direction D, a second portion 352 extending from the end of the first portion 351 on the left side Ws in the width direction toward the back side Db, and a third portion 353 extending from the end of the first portion 351 on the right side Wf ​​in the width direction toward the front side Df, and is formed in a roughly inverted Z shape in a plan view, as shown in Figures 2 and 8.

[0078] The second portion 352 and the third portion 353 are provided with mounting holes 54 for mounting the posts 53. The third portion 353 is provided on the left side Ws in the width direction with a fixing piece 55 bent toward the upper side Hu.

[0079] The above-mentioned busbar circuit bodies 33 to 35 are non-plated busbars whose surfaces are not plated and made of the same metal plate as the busbars 41 to 47 constituting the busbar circuit body 31 and the busbar circuit body 32, and are configured to the same thickness as the busbars 41, 42, 45 to 47.

[0080] The circuit body arrangement section 16 that arranges the busbar circuit group 30, in which the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 are configured as described above, at a predetermined position inside the holding case 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The circuit body arrangement section 16, which arranges the above-mentioned busbar circuit group 30 at a predetermined position inside the holding case 10, includes a circuit body arrangement section 17 for arranging the busbar circuit body 31, a circuit body arrangement section 18 for arranging the busbar circuit body 32, a circuit body arrangement section 19a for arranging the busbar circuit body 33, a circuit body arrangement section 19b for arranging the busbar circuit body 34, and a circuit body arrangement section 19c for arranging the busbar circuit body 35.

[0081] The circuit body arrangement section 17 is a section for arranging the busbar circuit body 31 that electrically connects the connector mounting port 11a arranged in the center in the width direction W, the post 53 attached to the post opening 13a arranged on the right side Wf ​​of the connector mounting port 11a in the width direction, the post 53 attached to the post opening 13c arranged on the left side Ws of the connector mounting port 11a in the width direction, and the post 53 attached to the post opening 13e arranged on the left side Ws of that in the width direction.

[0082] In detail, the circuit body arrangement portion 17 is formed to be long in the width direction W as a whole, and includes a first busbar arrangement portion 171 for arranging the busbar 41 that constitutes the busbar circuit body 31, a second busbar arrangement portion 172 for arranging the busbar 43, and a third busbar arrangement portion 173 for arranging the busbar 42 so that the fifth portion 425 corresponds to the mounting hole 54 in the through hole 14a of the post opening 13a.

[0083] First busbar arrangement portion 171 is configured to arrange busbar 41 by matching mounting hole 54 provided in busbar 41 with through-hole 14c of post opening 13c and through-hole 14e of post opening 13e. First busbar arrangement portion 171 has fixing hole 56, which is arranged on the left side Ws of post opening 13e in the width direction, for inserting and fixing fixing piece 55 of busbar 41 arranged in first busbar arrangement portion 171. In other words, fixing hole 56 functions as a holding portion that holds busbar 41 in first busbar arrangement portion 171 of holding case 10. In first busbar arrangement section 171, between through-hole 14c and through-hole 14e, avoidance recess 57 recessed toward upper side Hu is provided (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0084] This allows the busbar 41 to be placed in the first busbar placement section 171 and the fixing piece 55 of the busbar 41 to be inserted into the fixing hole 56 and fixed, thereby placing the busbar 41 so that the mounting hole 54 provided in the busbar 41 corresponds to the through hole 14c of the post opening 13c and the through hole 14e of the post opening 13e. Moreover, avoidance recess 57 is arranged corresponding to the center of bus bar 41 arranged in first bus bar arrangement portion 171.

[0085] The second busbar arrangement portion 172 has a through hole 12a for the connector mounting port 11a, and by inserting the second part 432 of the busbar 43 into the through hole 12a, the busbar 43 can be accurately arranged relative to the second busbar arrangement portion 172. That is, through-hole 12a functions as a holding portion that holds bus bar 43 in second bus bar arrangement portion 172 of holding case 10.

[0086] Furthermore, an avoidance recess 57 recessed toward the upper side Hu is provided on the right side Wf ​​of the through hole 12a in the width direction in the second busbar arrangement portion 172 (see FIG. 3(a)). Therefore, the avoidance recess 57 is disposed in correspondence with the center of the first portion 431 of the busbar 43 arranged in the second busbar arrangement portion 172.

[0087] The third busbar arrangement portion 173 is configured so that the busbars 42 are arranged by aligning the mounting holes 54 provided in the fifth portion 425 with the through holes 14a of the post openings 13a. The third busbar arrangement portion 173 has fixing holes 56 arranged on the front side Df of the post openings 13a, into which fixing pieces 55 provided on the fifth portions 425 of the busbars 42 arranged in the third busbar arrangement portion 173 are inserted to fix the busbars 42. In other words, the fixing holes 56 function as holding portions that hold the busbars 42 in the third busbar arrangement portion 173 of the holding case 10.

[0088] This allows the busbar 42 to be positioned in the third busbar positioning section 173, and the fixing piece 55 provided on the fifth part 425 of the busbar 42 to be inserted into the fixing hole 56 and fixed, thereby positioning the busbar 42 so that the mounting hole 54 provided on the fifth part 425 of the busbar 42 corresponds to the through hole 14a of the post opening 13a.

[0089] Furthermore, by arranging the busbar 42 in the third busbar arrangement section 173, the center of the width direction W of the busbar 41 arranged in the first busbar arrangement section 171 and the third part 423 of the busbar 42 are stacked in the height direction H, and the first part 431 and the fourth part 424 of the busbar 43 arranged in the second busbar arrangement section 172 are stacked in the height direction H.

[0090] The avoidance recess 57 is arranged to correspond to the overlapping portion between the center of the width direction W of the bus bar 41 and the third portion 423 of the bus bar 42, and the overlapping portion between the first portion 431 and the fourth portion 424 of the bus bar 43.

[0091] The circuit body arrangement section 18 is a section for arranging the busbar circuit body 32 that electrically connects the connector mounting port 11b in the center in the width direction W, the connector mounting port 11c arranged on the front side Df of the connector mounting port 11b, the connector mounting port 11e on the left side Ws and the rear side Db in the width direction, and the posts 53 arranged in the post arrangement sections 15b, 15c on both sides of the connector mounting port 11c.

[0092] In detail, the circuit body arrangement section 18 is formed in a roughly L-shape overall, and includes a first busbar arrangement section 181 for arranging the busbars 44 that constitute the busbar circuit body 32, a second busbar arrangement section 182 for arranging the busbar 45, a third busbar arrangement section 183 for arranging the busbar 46, and a fourth busbar arrangement section 184 for arranging the busbar 47.

[0093] First busbar arrangement portion 181 is provided with through-hole 12b of connector mounting opening 11b, and by inserting second portion 442 of busbar 44 into through-hole 12b, busbar 44 can be accurately arranged with respect to first busbar arrangement portion 181. In other words, through-hole 12b functions as a holding portion that holds busbar 44 in first busbar arrangement portion 181 of holding case 10.

[0094] Furthermore, an avoidance recess 57 recessed toward the upper side Hu is provided on the right side Wf ​​of the through hole 12b in the width direction in the first busbar arrangement portion 181 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the avoidance recess 57 is disposed in correspondence with the center of the first portion 441 of the busbar 44 arranged in the first busbar arrangement portion 181.

[0095] The second busbar arrangement portion 182 has a through hole 12e for the connector mounting port 11e, and includes a second busbar arrangement portion 182a for arranging the second portion 452 of the busbar 45, a second busbar arrangement portion 182b for arranging the first portion 451 extending in the depth direction D, and a second busbar arrangement portion 182c for arranging the third portion 453 provided on the front side Df of the first portion 451.

[0096] In second busbar arrangement portion 182a, second portion 452 can be accurately arranged with respect to second busbar arrangement portion 182 by inserting third portion 453 constituting connection tab 36e into through-hole 12e. The second busbar arrangement portion 182b is groove-shaped, with the plate width direction aligned with the height direction H and the first portion 451 of the busbar 45 extending in the depth direction D, into which is inserted, and a plurality of gripping ribs 58 for gripping the inserted first portion 451 are provided on the inner surface of the groove along the height direction H at predetermined intervals in the depth direction D.

[0097] The second busbar arrangement portion 182c has a third portion 453 formed by bending the front side Df of the first portion 451 of the busbar 45 toward the left side Ws in the width direction. The second busbar arrangement portion 182c has an avoidance recess 57 (not shown) recessed toward the upper side Hu at a position corresponding to the center of the arranged fourth portion 454.

[0098] Through holes 12e provided in second busbar arrangement portion 182a and gripping ribs 58 provided in second busbar arrangement portion 182b function as holding portions that hold busbars 45 in second busbar arrangement portion 182 of holding case 10.

[0099] The third busbar arrangement portion 183 is configured so that the mounting holes 54 on both sides of the third portion 463 of the busbar 46 correspond to the post arrangement portions 15b, 15c, and the busbar 46 is arranged in such a manner that the fourth portion 464 constituting the connection tab 36c is inserted into the through-hole 12c of the connector mounting opening 11c. In other words, the through-hole 12c functions as a holding portion that holds the busbar 46 in the third busbar arrangement portion 183 of the holding case 10.

[0100] Furthermore, when the busbar 46 is arranged in the third busbar arrangement section 183 so that the fourth portion 464 is inserted into the through hole 12c, the second portion 462 provided on the widthwise left side Ws of the first portion 461 of the busbar 46 is stacked in the height direction H relative to the third portion 453 of the busbar 45 arranged in the second busbar arrangement section 182c of the second busbar arrangement section 182.

[0101] The fourth busbar arrangement portion 184 is configured so that the first portion 471 of the busbar 47 is arranged near the center in the width direction W of the third portion 463 of the busbar 46 arranged in the third busbar arrangement portion 183, and the fourth portion 474 is arranged in the first portion 441 of the busbar 44 arranged in the first busbar arrangement portion 181. The fourth busbar arrangement portion 184 is provided with a fitting wall 59 that fits into and regulates the side surface of the front side Df of the first portion 471 of the busbar 47 arranged as described above. In other words, the fitting wall 59 functions as a holding portion that holds the busbar 47 in the fourth busbar arrangement portion 184 of the holding case 10.

[0102] When the busbar 47 is arranged in the fourth busbar arrangement portion 184 configured in this manner, the busbar 47 can be accurately arranged as described above by the fitting wall 59. The first portion 471 of the busbar 47 arranged in the fourth busbar arrangement portion 184 is stacked in the height direction H at the center of the third portion 463 of the busbar 46 arranged in the third busbar arrangement portion 183.

[0103] Furthermore, the fourth portion 474 of the busbar 47 arranged in the fourth busbar arrangement section 184 is stacked in the height direction H with the first portion 441 of the busbar 44 arranged in the first busbar arrangement section 181. The avoidance recess 57 is then arranged corresponding to these stacked portions.

[0104] The circuit body arrangement portion 19a is a portion for arranging the busbar circuit body 33 that electrically connects the connector mounting port 11d on the right side Wf ​​and the rear side Db in the width direction to the post 53 that is attached to the post opening 13b on the right side Wf ​​and the front side Df in the width direction.

[0105] The circuit body arrangement portion 19a is provided with a through hole 12d for the connector attachment opening 11d, and the busbar circuit body 33 can be accurately arranged in the circuit body arrangement portion 19a by inserting the fourth portion 334 constituting the connection tab 36d into the through hole 12d. In other words, the through hole 12d functions as a holding portion that holds the busbar circuit body 33 in the circuit body arrangement portion 19a of the holding case 10.

[0106] Furthermore, by accurately arranging the busbar circuit body 33 in the circuit body arranging section 19a, the mounting hole 54 provided in the second portion 332 can be arranged to correspond to the through hole 14b of the post opening 13b, and the fixing hole 56 for inserting and fixing the fixing piece 55 provided on the back side Db of the second portion 332 is arranged on the back side Db of the post opening 13b. Therefore, the busbar circuit body 33 arranged in the circuit body arranging section 19a can be accurately arranged by inserting the fourth portion 334 into the through hole 12d of the connector attachment opening 11d and inserting the fixing piece 55 provided in the second portion 332 into the fixing hole 56.

[0107] The circuit body arrangement portion 19b is a portion for arranging the busbar circuit body 34 that electrically connects the post 53 attached to the post opening 13f arranged on the left side Ws in the width direction and the post 53 arranged in the post arrangement portion 15d on the left side Ws in the width direction and the near side Df.

[0108] The circuit body arrangement portion 19b has a fixing hole 56 formed near the post arrangement portion 15d, into which a fixing piece 55 is inserted, and the busbar circuit body 34 can be accurately arranged with respect to the circuit body arrangement portion 19b by inserting the fixing piece 55 formed on the front side Df of the busbar circuit body 34 into the fixing hole 56. In other words, the fixing hole 56 functions as a holding portion that holds the busbar circuit body 34 in the circuit body arrangement portion 19b of the holding case 10. Furthermore, by accurately arranging the busbar circuit body 34 in the circuit body arrangement portion 19b, the mounting holes 54 provided in the busbar circuit body 34 can be arranged to correspond to the through holes 14f of the post openings 13f.

[0109] The circuit body arrangement portion 19c is a portion for arranging the busbar circuit body 35 that electrically connects the post 53 attached to the post opening 13d arranged between the post opening 13f and the connector mounting port 11b and the post 53 arranged in the post arrangement portion 15a on the right side Wf ​​and the front side Df in the width direction.

[0110] The circuit body arrangement portion 19c has a fixing hole 56 formed near the post arrangement portion 15a, into which a fixing piece 55 is inserted, and the busbar circuit body 35 can be accurately arranged with respect to the circuit body arrangement portion 19c by inserting the fixing piece 55 formed on the left side Ws of the third portion 353 in the width direction into the fixing hole 56. In other words, the fixing hole 56 functions as a holding portion that holds the busbar circuit body 35 in the circuit body arrangement portion 19c of the holding case 10.

[0111] Furthermore, by accurately arranging the busbar circuit body 35 in the circuit body arranging portion 19c, the mounting holes 54 formed in the busbar circuit body 35 can be arranged to correspond to the through holes 14d of the post openings 13d. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the busbar circuit body 35 arranged in the circuit body arranging portion 19c intersects with the busbars 47 of the busbar circuit body 32 arranged in the circuit body arranging portion 18 at a predetermined interval in the height direction H.

[0112] As described above, since the circuit body arrangement section 16 provided inside the holding case 10 is formed in the above-mentioned configuration, the busbar circuit group 30 can be mounted so that the position of the connection tab 36 relative to the through hole 12 of the connector mounting port 11 and the position of the mounting hole 54 for mounting the post 53 relative to the through hole 14 and the post arrangement section 15 are accurately positioned.

[0113] Next, a method for manufacturing the electrical junction box 1 configured by assembling the bus bar circuit group 30 to the circuit body arrangement portion 16 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6 to 8. FIG. First, the holding case 10 is turned upside down so that the bus bar circuit groups 30 can be attached to the circuit body placement portions 16 formed inside.

[0114] Then, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the busbars 41 and 43 that make up the busbar circuit body 31 are attached to the circuit body arrangement portion 17, and the busbars 44 and 45 that make up the busbar circuit body 32 are attached to the circuit body arrangement portion 18.

[0115] Specifically, busbar 41, which has mounting holes 54 on both sides in width direction W, is mounted to first busbar arrangement portion 171. At this time, fixing pieces 55 are inserted into fixing holes 56 and fixed, so busbar 41 can be accurately positioned with respect to first busbar arrangement portion 171.

[0116] Furthermore, the busbar 43 having the second portion 432 is attached to the second busbar arrangement portion 172 having the through-hole 12a. At this time, the second portion 432 constituting the connection tab 36a is inserted into the through-hole 12a of the connector mounting opening 11a, and the busbar 43 can be accurately arranged with respect to the second busbar arrangement portion 172.

[0117] Similarly, the bus bar 44 having the second portion 442 is attached to the first bus bar arrangement portion 181 having the through hole 12a. At this time, the second portion 442 constituting the connection tab 36b is inserted into the through hole 12b of the connector mounting opening 11b, and the bus bar 44 can be accurately arranged with respect to the first bus bar arrangement portion 181.

[0118] The second portion 452 having the third portion 453 is arranged in the second busbar arrangement portion 182a where the through hole 12e of the connector mounting port 11e is provided, and the first portion 451 is arranged in the second busbar arrangement portion 182b, and the busbar 45 is arranged in the second busbar arrangement portion 182.

[0119] At this time, the third portion 453 is inserted into the through hole 12e provided in the second busbar arrangement portion 182a, and the first portion 451 is clamped from the width direction W by the gripping rib 58 provided in the second busbar arrangement portion 182b, so that the busbar 45 can be accurately positioned relative to the second busbar arrangement portion 182, and the third portion 453 provided on the front side Df of the first portion 451 can be positioned in the second busbar arrangement portion 182c.

[0120] After the installation of the bus bars 41, 43, 44, and 45 is completed, the bus bar 42 constituting the bus bar circuit body 31 is installed in the circuit body arrangement portion 17, and the bus bar 46 constituting the bus bar circuit body 32 is installed in the circuit body arrangement portion 18, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 .

[0121] Specifically, the busbar 42 having the fifth portion 425 is placed in the third busbar arrangement portion 173 so that the mounting hole 54 corresponds to the through hole 14a of the post opening 13a. At this time, the fixing piece 55 provided on the fifth portion 425 of the busbar 42 is inserted into the fixing hole 56 located on the front side Df of the post opening 13a and fixed, so that the busbar 42 can be accurately placed in the third busbar arrangement portion 173 so that the mounting hole 54 provided on the fifth portion 425 of the busbar 42 corresponds to the through hole 14a of the post opening 13a.

[0122] In this way, by accurately positioning the busbar 42 relative to the third busbar arrangement section 173, the center of the width direction W of the busbar 41 arranged in the first busbar arrangement section 171 and the third part 423 of the busbar 42 are stacked in the height direction H, and the first part 431 and fourth part 424 of the busbar 43 arranged in the second busbar arrangement section 172 are stacked in the height direction H.

[0123] The avoidance recesses 57 are arranged to correspond to the overlapping portion between the center of the width direction W of the bus bar 41 and the third portion 423 of the bus bar 42, and the overlapping portion between the first portion 431 and the fourth portion 424 of the bus bar 43.

[0124] In addition, the mounting holes 54 on both sides of the third portion 463 correspond to the post arrangement portions 15b, 15c, and the bus bar 46 is arranged in the third bus bar arrangement portion 183 in such a manner that the fourth portion 464 constituting the connection tab 36c is inserted into the through hole 12c of the connector mounting port 11c.

[0125] Furthermore, when the busbar 46 is arranged in the third busbar arrangement section 183 so that the fourth portion 464 constituting the connection tab 36c is inserted into the through hole 12c, the second portion 462 provided on the widthwise left side Ws of the first portion 461 of the busbar 46 is stacked in the height direction H relative to the third portion 453 of the busbar 45 arranged in the second busbar arrangement section 182c of the second busbar arrangement section 182. The avoidance recess 57 is disposed so as to correspond to the overlapping portion of the second portion 462 and the third portion 453 .

[0126] After the installation of the bus bars 42 and 46 is completed, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, the bus bar 47 constituting the bus bar circuit body 32 is installed in the circuit body arrangement portion 18, and the bus bar circuit bodies 33, 34, and 35 are installed in the circuit body arrangement portions 19a, 19b, and 19c, respectively.

[0127] In detail, the busbar 47 is arranged in the fourth busbar arrangement section 184 so that the first part 471 of the busbar 47 is arranged near the center in the width direction W of the third part 463 of the busbar 46 arranged in the third busbar arrangement section 183, and the fourth part 474 is arranged in the first part 441 of the busbar 44 arranged in the first busbar arrangement section 181.

[0128] At this time, the side surface of the front side Df of the first portion 471 of the busbar 47 arranged as described above fits into the fitting wall 59 provided in the fourth busbar arrangement section 184, so that the busbar 47 can be accurately positioned relative to the fourth busbar arrangement section 184.

[0129] When the busbar 47 is arranged in the fourth busbar arrangement section 184 configured in this manner, the first portion 471 is stacked in the height direction H at the center of the third portion 463 of the busbar 46 arranged in the third busbar arrangement section 183, and the fourth portion 474 is stacked in the height direction H with the first portion 441 of the busbar 44 arranged in the first busbar arrangement section 181. The avoidance recess 57 is then arranged corresponding to these stacked portions.

[0130] Then, the bus bars 41 to 47 are irradiated with laser light at locations where they are stacked in the height direction H, and laser welding is performed to form joints 50 (50a to 50e). Specifically, the center of the width direction W of busbar 41, the third portion 423 of busbar 42, the first portion 431 of busbar 43 and the fourth portion 424 of busbar 42, the second portion 462 of busbar 46 and the third portion 453 of busbar 45, the center portions of the first portion 471 of busbar 47 and the third portion 463 of busbar 46, and the fourth portion 474 of busbar 47 and the first portion 441 of busbar 44 are laser-welded by irradiating them with laser light from a laser welding machine (not shown) arranged on the underside Hd of retaining case 10 to form joints 50 (50a to 50e).

[0131] At this time, as described above, avoidance recesses 57 are arranged at locations corresponding to each laminated portion, i.e., on the side opposite to the side where the laser light is irradiated onto the laminated portion, so that the resin holding case 10 can be prevented from being deformed by the welding heat of the laser welding.

[0132] Then, posts 53 are attached to the attachment holes 54 of the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 in the busbar circuit group 30, and fuses 51 are attached using the posts 53 provided between the connector attachment openings 11a and 11b, between the connector attachment openings 11c and 11d, and between the connector attachment openings 11d and 11f. After that, the lower cover 20 is attached to the opening on the lower side Hd of the holding case 10, thereby completing the assembly of the electrical junction box 1.

[0133] In addition, when the posts 53 are attached to the mounting holes 54 of the bus bars 41 to 47 and then the bus bars 41 to 47 are arranged in the circuit body arrangement section 16, the through holes 14 of the post openings 13 into which the posts 53 are inserted can function as holding sections that hold the bus bars 41 to 47 in each circuit body arrangement section 16.

[0134] As described above, the busbar circuit bodies 31, 32 of the electrical connection box 1, which includes the plate-shaped busbar circuit bodies 31-35 having a predetermined width, the retaining case 10 that holds the busbar circuit bodies 31-35, and the lower cover 20, include a plurality of busbars 41-47 and have a joint 50 formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of busbars 41-47 and joining them by laser welding.

[0135] In addition, a manufacturing method for the electrical connection box 1 includes plate-shaped busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 having a predetermined width, and a retaining case 10 and a lower cover 20 that hold the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35. The manufacturing method includes holding the busbars 41 to 47 in the retaining case 10 and the lower cover 20, overlapping portions of the busbars 41 to 47, and joining the overlapping portions together by laser welding to form the busbar circuit bodies 31, 32.

[0136] The electrical junction box 1 configured and manufactured as described above can form various bus bar circuit bodies 31, 32 by connecting the bus bars 41 to 47, and can prevent the electrical junction box 1 from becoming large in size. More specifically, the plate-shaped busbar circuit bodies 31, 32 having a predetermined width are joined at joints 50 formed by overlapping portions of the multiple busbars 41 to 47 and laser welding them together. Therefore, the retaining case 10 that holds the busbar circuit bodies 31, 32 does not require a location to accommodate fastening members that would be used when fastening the busbars 41 to 47 to form the busbar circuit body, and this prevents the retaining case 10 in the electrical connection box 1 from becoming larger.

[0137] Furthermore, the holding case 10 is provided with through holes 12, fixing holes 56, gripping ribs 58 and fitting walls 59 which function as holding sections for holding each of the plurality of bus bars 41 to 47 that make up the bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32, so that the bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32 can be firmly fixed to the holding case 10.

[0138] Furthermore, each of the multiple bus bars 41 to 47 that make up the bus bar circuit bodies 31, 32 can be fixed to the holding case 10 by the through holes 12, fixing holes 56, gripping ribs 58, and fitting walls 59 that function as holding portions, so that the bus bars 41 to 47 can be joined by laser welding while being held in the holding case 10 to form the bus bar circuit bodies 31, 32.

[0139] Therefore, compared to the case where multiple bus bars 41 to 47 are fixed to a jig and then the bus bar circuit bodies 31, 32 that have been previously joined by laser welding are attached to the holding case 10, a jig for joining the multiple bus bars 41 to 47 is not required, and the process of placing the bus bars 41 to 47 on the jig and the process of attaching the bus bar circuit bodies 31, 32 to the holding case 10 can be performed in a single process, allowing the electrical connection box 1 to be constructed efficiently.

[0140] Furthermore, the through holes 12, fixing holes 56, gripping ribs 58 and fitting walls 59, which function as holding sections for holding the busbars 41 to 47 relative to the circuit body arrangement section 16, are positioned away from the joint 50, which prevents the welding heat generated when the joint 50 is joined by laser welding from affecting the through holes 12, fixing holes 56, gripping ribs 58 and fitting walls 59, and allows the busbar circuit bodies 31, 32 to be positioned at predetermined positions in the holding case 10 with high precision.

[0141] In addition, since an avoidance recess 57 is provided in the portion of the holding case 10 facing the joint 50, it is possible to prevent the welding heat generated when the joint 50 is joined by laser welding from affecting the holding case 10, and it is possible to accurately position the busbar circuit bodies 31, 32 at the predetermined positions in the holding case 10.

[0142] Furthermore, among the multiple bus bars 41 to 47 that make up the bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32, the first portions 431 and 441 of the bus bars 43 and 44 have a thickness that is thicker than the fourth portions 424 and 474 of the bus bars 42 and 47, making it possible to configure the bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32 with thicknesses that vary partially. This prevents the entire bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32 from being defined by the thickness of the connection tabs 36 that are connected to other connectors, and makes it possible to configure the bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32 with an appropriate thickness that satisfies required performance.

[0143] Furthermore, at the joints 50a, 50b, the first portions 431, 441 of the bus bars 43, 44 are arranged on the side of the holding case 10, so that the joints 50 can be reliably joined by laser welding. In more detail, at joints 50a, 50b, the heat capacity of the first portions 431, 441 of bus bars 43, 44 is smaller than the heat capacity of the fourth portions 424, 474 of bus bars 42, 47. Therefore, when forming joint 50 by laser welding from the opening side of holding case 10, the laser is irradiated onto the fourth portions 424, 474 of bus bars 42, 47 before the first portions 431, 441 of bus bars 43, 44, and joints 50a, 50b, where the fourth portions 424, 474 of bus bars 42, 47 and the first portions 431, 441 of bus bars 43, 44 are overlapped, can be reliably joined by laser welding.

[0144] Furthermore, among the multiple bus bars 41 to 47 that make up the bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32, the first portions 431 and 441 of the bus bars 43 and 44 that are arranged on the side of the retaining case 10 at the joint 50 have a larger area than the fourth portions 424 and 474 of the bus bars 42 and 47, and therefore the joint 50 can be reliably joined by laser welding.

[0145] In more detail, the first parts 431, 441 of the bus bars 43, 44, which have a larger area, have a larger heat capacity, and the first parts 431, 441 of the bus bars 43, 44, which have a larger area, are positioned closer to the retaining case 10 than the fourth parts 424, 474 of the bus bars 42, 47, so that the joint 50 can be reliably joined by laser welding.

[0146] Furthermore, the electrical connection box 1 is formed in a box shape by a holding case 10 having an opening and a lower cover 20 that closes the opening, and the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 are arranged in the holding case 10, so that various busbar circuit bodies 31, 32 can be formed by connecting the busbars 41 to 47, thereby making it possible to form an electrical connection box 1 that does not become large.

[0147] Furthermore, since a plurality of busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 are provided and the busbar 47 of the busbar circuit body 32 and the busbar circuit body 35 are arranged spaced apart in the height direction H, the busbar circuit bodies 32 and 35 can be routed along various routes, allowing a variety of electrical junction boxes 1 to be constructed.

[0148] Furthermore, among the multiple busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35, in busbar circuit bodies 31 and 32, the busbar 43 constituting the busbar circuit body 31 and the busbar 44 constituting the busbar circuit body 32 have the same shape, so the busbars 41 to 47 constituting the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 can be made into common parts, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0149] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The busbar circuit member of the present invention corresponds to the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35, Similarly, The holding member corresponds to the holding case 10 and the lower cover 20, Busbars correspond to busbars 41 to 47. The joints correspond to joints 50 (50a to 50e), The electrical connector corresponds to the electrical connection box 1, The holding portion corresponds to the through hole 12, the fixing hole 56, the gripping rib 58 and the fitting wall 59; The space corresponds to the avoidance recess 57, The thick busbar corresponds to busbars 43 and 44. The bus bars arranged on the holding member side correspond to first portions 431 and 441 of bus bars 43 and 44, The other busbars correspond to the fourth portions 424, 474 of the busbars 42, 47; The holding case corresponds to the holding case 10, The cover part corresponds to the lower cover 20, The overlapping direction corresponds to the height direction H, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0150] For example, the busbar circuit bodies 33 to 35, which were integral in the above-described embodiment, may be configured by joining a plurality of busbars. Furthermore, in the above description, the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 constituting the busbar circuit group 30 are non-plated busbars whose conductor surfaces are not plated. However, for example, the busbars 43 and 44 constituting the connection tabs 36a and 36b in the busbar circuit bodies 31 and 32 may be plated busbars whose surfaces are plated.

[0151] In this way, by constructing the bus bars 43, 44 that form the connection tab 36 to which the connection terminal of another connector is connected using plated bus bars and constructing the other parts using non-plated bus bars, it is possible to construct a bus bar circuit body in which the bus bar circuit bodies 31, 32 are partially plated.

[0152] Of course, some or all of the bus bars other than bus bars 43 and 44 in bus bar circuit bodies 31 and 32 may be plated bus bars, or the above-mentioned bus bar circuit bodies 33 to 35 may be formed by joining multiple bus bars, and some or all of the bus bars may be plated bus bars.

[0153] Although the busbars 41 to 47 constituting the busbar circuit bodies 31 and 32 are all made of the same metal type, the busbars 42 and 47 having the fourth portions 424 and 474 constituting the joints 50a and 50b may be made of a metal with high thermal conductivity. In this case, even if the busbars 43 and 44 have the same thickness as the other busbars, the joints 50a and 50b can be formed by reliable welding using laser light irradiated from the fourth portions 424 and 474 of the busbars 42 and 47.

[0154] The busbars 45 and 46 that form the joint portion 50c may be made of different metal types, and the busbars 41 and 42 that form the busbar circuit body 31 and the busbar 47 that forms the busbar circuit body 32 may be made of different metal types. Furthermore, the busbar circuit bodies 33 to 35 may be formed by joining a plurality of busbars, and some of the busbars may be made of a different metal type than the other busbars.

[0155] In the above description, the busbars 41 to 47 and the busbar circuits 33 to 35 that constitute the busbar circuits 31, 32 are arranged in the circuit body arrangement portion 16 of the holding case 10 to form the electrical connection box 1, but of the busbar circuits 31 to 35 that constitute the busbar circuit group 30, for example, the busbar circuits 32 to 35 may be arranged in the circuit body arrangement portion 16 of the holding case 10, and the busbars 41 to 43 that constitute the busbar circuit 31 may be arranged on the upper side Hu of the lower cover 20. In this case, the busbar circuit bodies 31 to 35 can be routed along various routes, and therefore a variety of electric junction boxes 1 can be configured.

[0156] Furthermore, even when the busbar circuits 31 to 35 are configured as multiple layers when the lower cover 20 is attached to the holding case 10, the busbar circuit 31 is arranged on the side of the lower cover 20 facing the opening in the lower cover 20. Therefore, the busbar circuits 32 to 35 arranged in the holding case 10 and the busbar circuit 31 arranged in the lower cover 20 can be configured by joining the busbars 41 to 47 together by irradiating a laser from one direction after removing the lower cover 20 from the holding case 10 and changing its orientation. Of course, any of the busbar circuits 32 to 35 other than the busbar circuit 31 may be arranged on the lower cover 20 in place of the busbar circuit 31 or together with the busbar circuit 31.

[0157] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the electrical connection box 1 is described as being box-shaped with the holding case 10 and the lower cover 20, and the bus bar circuit group 30 is arranged inside the holding case 10. However, it may not be provided with the lower cover 20, and may instead be a terminal block having a terminal holding block with a circuit body arrangement portion 16, like the holding case 10, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1...Electrical junction box 10...Holding case 12...Through hole 14...Through hole 20...Lower cover 31~35... Busbar circuit body 41~47...Busbar 50…Joint part 56…Fixing hole 57...Avoidance recess 58...Gripping rib 59...Interlocking wall 424,474...4th part H: Height

Claims

1. a plate-shaped bus bar circuit member having a predetermined width; a holding member for holding the bus bar circuit member, the bus bar circuit member includes a plurality of bus bars, and has a joint portion formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of bus bars and joining them by laser welding, The holding member a holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars that constitute the bus bar circuit member; The bus bar circuit member a fixing piece is provided that protrudes in a thickness direction of the plate and is inserted into and held by the holding portion; The bus bar circuit member is a portion whose plate width direction is along an insertion direction in which the fixing piece is inserted into the holding portion; a portion where the plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction, The fixing piece is provided at a portion where the plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction. Electrical connections.

2. a plate-shaped bus bar circuit member having a predetermined width; a holding member for holding the bus bar circuit member, the bus bar circuit member includes a plurality of bus bars, and has a joint portion formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of bus bars and joining them by laser welding, The holding member a holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars that constitute the bus bar circuit member; The bus bar circuit member is a portion whose plate width direction is along the insertion direction in which the plate is inserted into the holding portion; a portion where the plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction, The holding portion is a groove into which a portion of the plate whose width direction is along the insertion direction is inserted, and a plurality of ribs along the insertion direction are provided at predetermined intervals on the inner surface of the groove, and the ribs are configured to grip the portion of the plate whose width direction is along the insertion direction. Electrical connections.

3. a plate-shaped bus bar circuit member having a predetermined width; a holding member for holding the bus bar circuit member, the bus bar circuit member includes a plurality of bus bars, and has a joint portion formed by overlapping portions of the plurality of bus bars and joining them by laser welding, a plurality of the bus bar circuit members are provided; The holding member a plurality of holding portions are provided to hold the plurality of bus bars that constitute each of the bus bar circuit members; The bus bar circuit member is a portion whose plate width direction is along the insertion direction in which the plate is inserted into the holding portion; a portion where the plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction, Any of the bus bar circuit members, a fixing piece is provided that protrudes in a thickness direction of the plate and is inserted into and held by the holding portion, and the fixing piece is provided at a portion where the plate width direction intersects with the insertion direction, The holding portion that holds the other bus bar circuit member has a groove shape into which a portion of the plate whose width direction is along the insertion direction is inserted, and a plurality of ribs along the insertion direction are provided at predetermined intervals on the inner surface of the groove, and the ribs grip the portion of the plate whose width direction is along the insertion direction. Electrical connections.

4. The holding portion is Located at a position away from the joint The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A space is provided in a portion of the holding member facing the joint portion.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

6. Any of the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member is a thick plate bus bar having a plate thickness greater than that of the other bus bars.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

7. At the joint where the bus bars are partially overlapped, the thick bus bar is disposed on the side of the holding member. The electrical connection body according to claim 6.

8. Among the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member, the bus bar arranged on the side of the holding member at the joint portion has a larger area than the other bus bars. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member are a plated bus bar in which the surface of a plate-shaped conductor is plated; and a non-plated bus bar in which the surface of the conductor is not plated. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member are made of a conductive metal, Any one of the plurality of bus bars constituting the bus bar circuit member is made of a metal type different from that of the other bus bars. The electrical connection body according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The holding member is The holding case has an opening and a cover that closes the opening, and the holding case is formed in a box shape. The bus bar circuit member is disposed in the holding case. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. a plurality of the bus bar circuit members are provided; Among the plurality of busbar circuit members, any of the busbars constituting the busbar circuit members have the same shape. The electrical connection body according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. a plurality of the bus bar circuit members are provided; At least some of the bus bar circuit members are arranged spaced apart in the overlapping direction in which the bus bars overlap each other. The electrical connection body according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The holding member is The holding case has an opening and a cover that closes the opening, and the holding case is formed in a box shape. At least one of the plurality of bus bar circuit members is disposed in the holding case. The electrical connection body according to claim 12 or 13.

15. The holding member is At least one of the plurality of bus bar circuit members is disposed on a side of the cover portion facing the opening. The electrical connection body according to claim 14.

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