Electrical junction box

Abstract

An electrical junction box is disclosed that can facilitate drainage from the contact area between the terminal portion of an electrical component and the connection portion to the internal circuit inside the case. [Solution] The electrical junction box 10 comprises a hollow housing 16 formed by assembling a first case 12 and a second case 14, a component housing section 18 provided between the first case 12 and the second case 14 and opening to the outer surface of the housing 16, and an assembly part 20 housed in the component housing section 18. The assembly part 20 includes a third case 64, an electrical component held in the third case 64, and a connection section 70 of a conductive member constituting an internal circuit, connected to the terminal section 68 of the electrical component. With the assembly direction of the first case 12 and the second case 14 being horizontal, the terminal section 68 and the connection section 70 of the assembly part 20 housed in the component housing section 18 are extended vertically and exposed below the third case 64.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical junction box.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, electrical junction boxes have been used for distributing power from a battery mounted in a vehicle to various loads. In such an electrical junction box, terminal portions of a large number of electrical components such as relays, connectors, and wire harnesses are connected to connection portions of an internal circuit formed by busbars and the like housed in a housing. Therefore, the housing is provided with a large number of openings that allow insertion of the terminal portions of these electrical components. If condensed water or the like enters the interior through such openings, there is a risk of corrosion or short circuit of metals constituting the terminal portions of electrical components or connection parts conducting to the internal circuit, so it is necessary to drain the water promptly. Accordingly, Patent Document 1 proposes a structure that promotes drainage by bending covered electric wires constituting an internal circuit into a convex shape toward a drainage hole provided in a bottom plate portion.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, in order to cope with the increasing density of vehicles in recent years, electrical connection boxes are sometimes mounted in vehicles with the assembly direction of the first and second cases that constitute the housing of the electrical connection box being horizontal, perpendicular to the vertical direction. In that case, since the assembly direction of the first and second cases of the electrical connection box is not vertical, the drainage structure directed towards the bottom wall of the housing, as described in Patent Document 1, ceases to function. As a result, water droplets that enter the case remain at the contact points between the terminals of the electrical components and the connections to the internal circuit inside the housing, which can cause corrosion at the contact points between the terminals and conductive materials, potentially leading to poor conductivity or fire.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose an electrical connection box that can promote drainage from the contact points between the terminals of electrical components and the connection points to the internal circuits inside the case when the first and second cases of the housing are mounted in a vehicle with the assembly direction being horizontal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electrical junction box of this disclosure comprises a hollow housing formed by assembling a first case and a second case, a component housing section provided between the first case and the second case and opening to the outer surface of the housing, and an assembly component housed in the component housing section, wherein the assembly component includes a third case, an electrical component held in the third case, and a connection section of a conductive member constituting an internal circuit, which is held in the third case and connected to the terminal portion of the electrical component, and with the assembly direction of the first case and the second case being horizontal, the terminal portion and the connection section of the assembly component housed in the component housing section, which are held in the third case, extend vertically and are exposed below the third case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the electrical connection box of this disclosure, when the first and second cases of the housing are mounted in a vehicle with the assembly direction being horizontal, drainage from the contact area between the terminal portion of the electrical component and the connection portion of the internal circuit inside the case can be promoted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front perspective view showing an electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the assembled components in the electrical junction box shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the assembly parts shown in Figure 4 with the third case removed. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the electrical junction box shown in Figure 1 with the second case removed. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front perspective view showing a modified example of the electrical junction box in Figure 1, where the mounting direction of the assembly components to the component mounting area is different. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a rear perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in Figure 9. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure> First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The electrical junction box in this disclosure is (1) A hollow housing formed by assembling a first case and a second case, a component housing section provided between the first case and the second case and opening to the outer surface of the housing, and an assembly part housed in the component housing section, wherein the assembly part includes a third case, an electrical component held in the third case, and a connection section of a conductive member constituting an internal circuit, which is held in the third case and connected to the terminal portion of the electrical component, wherein, with the assembly direction of the first case and the second case being horizontal, the terminal portion and the connection section of the assembly part housed in the component housing section, which are held in the third case, extend vertically and are exposed below the third case.

[0010] According to the electrical junction box of this disclosure, when the first and second cases constituting the hollow housing are mounted on a vehicle in a horizontal orientation, the terminal portion of the electrical component held in the third case of the assembly parts and the connection portion of the conductive member connected to the terminal portion and constituting the internal circuit are exposed below the third case, extending vertically. As a result, even if water that has entered through the opening of the component housing exposed on the outer surface of the housing reaches the contact area between the terminal portion of the electrical component held in the third case and the connection portion of the internal circuit connected to the terminal portion, since the terminal portion and the connection portion extend vertically and are exposed below the third case, gravity will quickly guide the water droplets vertically downward and allow them to be discharged to the outside from below the third case. Therefore, according to the electrical junction box of this disclosure, even when the electrical junction box is mounted on a vehicle in an orientation where the assembly direction of the first and second cases constituting the housing is horizontal, drainage from the contact area between the terminal portion of the electrical component and the connection portion that conducts to the internal circuit inside the case can be promoted. This prevents or suppresses the problem, which was present in conventional structures, of water droplets accumulating at the connection point between the terminal portion of an electrical component and the connection portion that conducts to the internal circuit, causing corrosion at the contact point between the terminal portion and the connection portion, and potentially leading to poor conductivity or fire.

[0011] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the first case has an upward opening window that penetrates the peripheral wall of the housing located above the vertical direction of the housing, the component housing section opens to the outer surface of the housing through the upward opening window, and the electrical components held in the third case are exposed to the outside through the upward opening window. Since the component housing section opens to the outer surface of the housing through the upward opening window, it is possible to attach and detach the third case through the upward opening window when the first case and the second case are assembled. Furthermore, since the electrical components held in the third case are exposed to the outside through the upward opening window, it is possible to attach and detach the electrical components to the third case through the upward opening window, thereby improving the ease of assembly and maintenance of the electrical connection box.

[0012] (3) In (2) above, it is preferable that the first case has a support wall projecting horizontally from the bottom wall of the first case at a portion separated downward from the upper opening window, the component housing portion is configured including the support wall, and the busbar as the conductive member is electrically connected to the connection portion and protrudes from the third case and is supported by the support wall. Since the connection portion connected to the terminal portion of the electrical component is electrically connected to the busbar as the conductive member and extends vertically and is exposed below the third case, the busbar, which is the conductive member electrically connected to the connection portion, protrudes from below the third case. In this embodiment, since the component housing portion is located below the upper opening window and includes a support wall projecting horizontally, and the busbar protruding from the third case is supported by the support wall, the busbar, which is electrically connected to the connection portion connected to the terminal portion of the electrical component, is prevented from detaching from the third case, and a stable connection state between the electrical component and the internal circuit (busbar) can be maintained.

[0013] (4) In (3) above, it is preferable that the third case has an engaging recess and an engaging projection that extend horizontally and fit together, provided on one and the other of the mutually opposing surfaces of the component housing and the third case, and that the third case is assembled into the component housing horizontally from the opening on the second case side of the component housing which is the protruding end side of the support wall, and that the assembled component is positioned and held in the component housing by the fitting of the engaging recess and the engaging projection. By fitting the engaging projection, which extends horizontally, into the engaging recess, which extends horizontally, provided on one of the mutually opposing surfaces of the component housing and the third case, the third case can be assembled to a predetermined position in the component housing by being guided by the fitting of the engaging recess and the engaging projection. Furthermore, the fitting of the engaging recess and the engaging projection allows the third case to be positioned and held in the component housing, and stable assembly and holding performance of the assembled component and the component housing can be achieved.

[0014] (5) In (4) above, it is preferable that the busbar protruding from the third case of the assembly part has a supported portion that protrudes horizontally and is supported by the support wall, a downward extension portion that extends vertically downward via a first bend portion provided at a position beyond the support wall of the supported portion, and an overlap portion that protrudes toward the bottom wall of the first case via a second bend portion provided at the extension end of the downward extension portion and overlaps the support wall in the vertical direction. By utilizing the fact that the assembly part is assembled to the component housing part horizontally from the opening on the second case side of the component housing part, even if the busbar protruding from the third case has an overlap portion that overlaps the support wall of the component housing part vertically, it is possible to avoid the overlap portion interfering with the support wall.Therefore, it is possible to assemble the busbar to the first case with the busbar in place of the assembly part, and it is possible to assemble the assembly part, including the busbar constituting the internal circuit, to the first case all at once, thereby improving assembly workability.

[0015] In (6) above, according to (2) or (3), it is preferable that: an engagement recess and an engagement protrusion are respectively provided on one and the other of mutually opposing surfaces of the component housing portion and the third case, extend in the vertical direction and are fitted to each other; the third case is configured to be assembled to the component housing portion in the vertical direction from the upper opening window; and the assembly component is positioned and held in the component housing portion by the fitting of the engagement recess and the engagement protrusion. By fitting the engagement protrusion, which is provided on one side and extends in the vertical direction, into the engagement recess that is provided on the other side and extends in the vertical direction, the third case can be assembled to a predetermined position of the component housing portion from the upper opening window guided by the fitting of the engagement recess and the engagement protrusion. Furthermore, the third case can be positioned and held in the component housing portion by the fitting of the engagement recess and the engagement protrusion, so that stable assemblability and retainability between the assembly component and the component housing portion can be achieved.

[0016] In (7) above, according to (3) or (6), it is preferable that: an elastic lock portion and a locked portion are respectively provided on one and the other of mutually opposing surfaces of the component housing portion and the third case, and engage with each other; insertion of the third case into the component housing portion is permitted by the elastic lock portion abutting against the locked portion and elastically deforming; and the elastic lock portion gets over the locked portion and elastically recovers, so that the elastic lock portion engages with the locked portion, and detachment of the third case from the component housing portion is prevented. Regardless of whether the third case is assembled to the component housing portion in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, by providing the elastic lock portion and the locked portion on one and the other of the mutually opposing surfaces of the component housing portion and the third case, detachment of the third case from the component housing portion can be prevented by engagement of the elastic lock portion with the locked portion, and a stable mounted state of the assembly component with respect to the component housing portion can be maintained. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to provide the elastic lock portion and the locked portion on one and the other of the mutually opposing surfaces of the component housing portion and the third case, an increase in size of the electrical connection box can be suppressed, while a stable mounted state of the assembly component with respect to the component housing portion can be maintained.

[0017] <Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the electrical connection box of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the electrical connection box 10 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The electrical connection box 10 is bolted and mounted on, for example, a vertically protruding vehicle body panel (not shown) provided in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. In the following description, the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction in FIG. 1, and the horizontal direction refers to the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction in FIG. 1. In addition, for a plurality of identical members, reference numerals are given only to some members, and reference numerals may be omitted for other members.

[0019] <Electrical connection box 10> As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, the electrical connection box 10 includes a hollow housing 16 configured by assembling a first case 12 and a second case 14 to each other, and an assembly component 20 that is provided between the first case 12 and the second case 14 and accommodated in a component accommodating portion 18 opening to the outer surface of the housing 16. The electrical connection box 10 is mounted on a vehicle in a state where the assembling direction of the first case 12 and the second case 14 is the horizontal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 2).

[0020] <First case 12> The first case 12 constituting the housing 16 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes a substantially rectangular bottom wall 22 and a peripheral wall 24 rising from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 22, and has a bottomed box shape opening on the protruding end side (right side in FIG. 2) of the peripheral wall 24. Fixing portions 26 to be fixed to an attachment target such as a bracket or a panel provided on a vehicle are respectively provided at four corners of the bottom wall 22, and a bolt insertion hole 28 through which a fastening bolt is inserted is penetratingly provided at the center of each fixing portion 26.

[0021] An upward-opening window 30 is provided in the peripheral wall 24 of the first case 12, which is positioned vertically above the housing 16, by partially cutting out the peripheral wall 24. The upward-opening window 30 is provided opening to the outer surface of the peripheral wall 24 and to the protruding end face of the peripheral wall 24. Furthermore, a substantially rectangular flat support wall 32 is provided projecting horizontally from the inner surface of the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12 at a portion separated downward from the upward-opening window 30. The support wall 32 has a width dimension smaller than the substantially total width of the bottom wall 22, and both ends of the support wall 32 in the width direction are connected to the protruding ends of a pair of connecting walls 34, 34 that project vertically downward from the peripheral walls 24, which are positioned on both sides of the upward-opening window 30 in the width direction.

[0022] On the support wall 32, a plurality of horizontally extending guide ridges 36 are provided at appropriate locations on the upper surface facing the upper opening window 30. In addition, the pair of connecting walls 34, 34 are each provided with groove-shaped engaging recesses 38, 38 that extend horizontally and open toward the opposing connecting wall 34. Furthermore, the pair of connecting walls 34, 34 are provided with elastic locking parts 40, 40 that are held in a cantilevered manner and protrude horizontally. Each elastic locking part 40 is composed of an elastic tongue 42 and a locking claw 44 provided at the protruding end of the elastic tongue.

[0023] In the first case 12, below the support wall 32, there are two nut holding parts 46a and 46b that protrude horizontally in a rectangular shape, and bolt fastening parts 48a and 48b into which nut holding parts 58a and 58b, which will be described later and are protruding from the second case 14, are inserted. The ends of the busbars 50a and 50b, which are conductive members such as copper or copper alloy that constitute the internal circuit, and the terminals of the fuses 62a and 62b, which will be described later, are arranged in the bolt fastening parts 48a and 48b, respectively, and are sandwiched and connected between nuts (not shown) held in the nut holding parts 58a and 58b and fastening bolts 52a and 52b that are screwed onto them. In addition to below the support wall 32, the first case 12 is also provided with through holes 49 and nut holding parts 46c at two locations separated vertically on one side edge of the bottom wall 22 (right side in Figure 2). The through-hole 49 is into which the nut holding portion 58c, which will be described later and is protruding from the second case 14, is inserted.

[0024] In the first case 12, partition walls 54 are provided on both sides and below the nut holding portions 46a, 46b and the bolt fastening portions 48a, 48b, surrounding them in a roughly U-shape when viewed from above. Further below the partition walls 54, connector mounting portions 56a, 56b are provided, opening downwards, and connectors (not shown) are attached thereto.

[0025] <Case 2, 14> The second case 14, which constitutes the housing 16, is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that covers the opening of the first case 12. In a plan view, the periphery of the second case 14 extends circumferentially along the peripheral wall 24 of the first case 12. The second case 14, which is positioned on the protruding side of the peripheral wall 24 of the first case 12 and opposite the bottom wall 22, is assembled to the first case 12 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in Figure 2) and fixed in an assembled state by fixing means (not shown). As a result, the opening of the recess partitioned by the bottom wall 22 and peripheral wall 24 of the first case 12 is covered by the second case 14, and a hollow housing 16 is constructed. In this assembled housing 16, the opening of the space partitioned by the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12, the support wall 32, and the pair of connecting walls 34, 34 is covered by the second case 14, thereby defining a component storage section 18 that is exposed on the outer surface of the housing 16 through the upper opening window 30. Nut holding sections 58a, 58b, and 58c are provided at three mutually separated locations on the second case 14, and the respective protruding ends that hold nuts (not shown) are inserted into bolt fastening sections 48a, 48b and through holes 49 provided on the first case 12, respectively. Furthermore, recesses 60a and 60b with a roughly rectangular cross-section are provided at the lower end of the second case 14 and protrude toward the first case 12, and the bottom walls of the recesses 60a and 60b are positioned opposite the connector mounting sections 56a and 56b provided on the first case 12, respectively, and constitute part of the wall portion of the connector mounting sections 56a and 56b.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, two fuses 62a and 62b are mounted on the outer surface of the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12, which is the rear side of the housing 16 configured in this way. One terminal of fuse 62a is positioned on a bolt fastening portion 48a and fastened to the bus bar 50a by a fastening bolt 52a. The other terminal of fuse 62a is placed together with the bus bar 50c on a nut (not shown) held by a nut holding portion 46b and fastened to each other by a fastening bolt 52c. One terminal of fuse 62b is placed together with the end of the bus bar 50d on a nut (not shown) held by a nut holding portion 46a and fastened to each other by a fastening bolt 52d. The other terminal of fuse 62b is positioned on a bolt fastening portion 48b and fastened to the bus bar 50b by a fastening bolt 52b.

[0027] On one side (right side in Figure 3) of the outer surface of the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12 shown in Figure 3, two nut holding parts 46c and 46d are provided. One end 50e-1 of a bus bar 50e held by the first case 12 is placed on the protruding end face of the nut holding part 46c, allowing the terminal portion of an external device to be bolted. One end of a bus bar 50f held by the first case 12 is also placed on the protruding end face of the nut holding part 46d, allowing the terminal portion of an external device to be bolted. On the other side (left side in Figure 3) of the outer surface of the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12 shown in Figure 3, the other end 50e-2 of the bus bar 50e is placed on a nut (not shown) held on the protruding end face of a nut holding part 58c of the second case 14 that protrudes through a through hole 49, allowing the terminal portion of an external device to be bolted. Furthermore, a nut retaining portion 46e is also provided, positioned below the nut retaining portion 58c. The end of the busbar 50g rests on a nut (not shown) on the protruding end face of the nut retaining portion 46e, allowing the terminal portion of an external device to be bolted on.

[0028] <Assembly Part 20> The component housing section 18 of the housing 16, which has this structure, houses the assembly component 20. The assembly component 20 comprises a third case 64 made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, two relays 66 as electrical components held in the third case 64, and a plurality of connection parts 70 held in the third case 64 and connected to the terminal parts 68 of the relays 66. Figure 5 shows the assembly component 20 with the third case 64 removed. As is clear from Figure 5, the plurality of connection parts 70 have a cylindrical shape into which the terminal parts 68 of the relays 66 can be press-fitted, and are made of metal such as copper or copper alloy. The connection portion 70 may be integrally attached to the bus bars 50h and 50i, or it may be formed separately from the bus bars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m, with the ends of these bus bars being press-fitted into the connection portion 70 together with the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66, thereby connecting to the bus bars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m. Here, both the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 and the connection portion 70 connected to it extend vertically and are exposed below the third case 64 (see Figure 4).

[0029] <Case 3, 64> As shown in Figure 2, the third case 64 has a rectangular flat plate portion 72, a peripheral wall portion 74 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the flat plate portion 72, a pair of relay mounting portions 76 that protrude upward from the flat plate portion 72, and a connector mounting portion 78 provided between the pair of relay mounting portions 76. As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of retaining cylinder portions 80 are provided protruding from the bottom surface of the flat plate portion 72 of the third case 64, which hold the connection portion 70, the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 that is press-fitted therein, and the ends of the bus bars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m in a state that extends in the vertical direction. The tab terminals 82 that protrude from the bus bars 50h and 50i are inserted through an insertion window 84 that opens on the bottom surface of the flat plate portion 72 (see Figure 4) and placed on the connector mounting portion 78.

[0030] Each relay mounting portion 76 is provided with an elastic locking portion 86. When a relay 66 is inserted into the relay mounting portion 76, the elastic locking portion 86 contacts a locking projection 88 protruding from the outer surface of the relay 66 and elastically deforms outward, allowing the relay 66 to be inserted into the relay mounting portion 76. When the relay elastically returns to its original position after overcoming the locking projection 88, the elastic locking portion 86 engages with the locking projection 88, preventing the relay 66 from detaching from the relay mounting portion 76.

[0031] Here, both sides of the peripheral wall portion 74 of the third case 64 (left and right sides in Figure 2) are opposing surfaces that face the pair of connecting walls 34 of the component housing portion 18 when the case is housed in the component housing portion 18. Therefore, both sides of the peripheral wall portion 74 of the third case 64 are provided with engaging projections 90 that extend horizontally (left and right in Figure 2) and fit into engaging recesses 38 provided on each connecting wall 34. Furthermore, both sides of the peripheral wall portion 74 of the third case 64 are provided with locking portions 92 that extend vertically downward from the engaging projections 90 in a longitudinal projection shape, into which the locking claws 44 of the elastic locking portion 40 provided on each connecting wall 34 engage.

[0032] Furthermore, as is clear from Figures 4 and 6, the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m protruding downward from the third case 64 each have a supported portion 94 that protrudes horizontally and is supported by the support wall 32, a first bent portion 96 located beyond the support wall 32 in the horizontal direction, a downward extension portion 98 that extends vertically downward via the first bent portion 96, a second bent portion 100 provided at the extension end of the downward extension portion 98, and an overlap portion 102 that protrudes toward the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12 via the second bent portion 100 and overlaps the support wall 32 in the vertical direction.

[0033] The first case 12, second case 14, and assembly part 20, which have the structure described above, can be assembled, for example, by the following procedure. As shown in Figure 2, the assembly part 20 is placed on the side of the support wall 32 that protrudes, which is the inner surface of the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12. The third case 64 of the assembly part 20 is fitted with a relay 66, and the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 is press-fitted into the connection portion 70 held in the retaining cylinder portion 80 of the third case 64. The connection portion 70 held in the retaining cylinder portion 80 is electrically connected to the bus bars 50h, 50i connected to the connection portion 70 and the bus bars 50j, 50k, 50l, 50m whose ends are press-fitted into the connection portion 70, and the assembly part 20 is composed of bus bars 50j, 50k, 50l, 50m that protrude from the third case 64.

[0034] The assembly part 20 is assembled horizontally toward the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12. At this time, the engaging projection 90, which extends horizontally and is provided on the third case 64, is fitted into the engaging recess 38, which extends horizontally and is provided on the part housing section 18. Guided by the fitting of the engaging recess 38 and the engaging projection 90, the third case 64 of the assembly part 20 can be assembled to a predetermined position in the part housing section 18. Furthermore, the fitting of the engaging recess 38 and the engaging projection 90 allows the third case 64 to be positioned and held in the part housing section 18, achieving stable assembly and holding performance between the assembly part 20 and the part housing section 18.

[0035] Then, when the third case 64 of the assembly part 20 is fitted into the completed position in the component housing section 18, the locking claw 44 of the elastic locking part 40 provided in the component housing section 18 overcomes the locked portion 92 provided in the third case 64 and elastically returns to its original position. This completes the assembly of the assembly part 20 to the component housing section 18 of the first case 12. In this completed assembly state, the engagement of the elastic locking part 40 with the locked portion 92 prevents the third case 64 from detaching horizontally from the component housing section 18, and a stable mounting state of the assembly part 20 to the component housing section 18 can be maintained. Moreover, since it is only necessary to provide the elastic locking part 40 and the locked portion 92 on one and the other of the opposing surfaces of the component housing section 18 and the third case 64, a stable mounting state of the assembly part 20 to the component housing section 18 can be maintained while suppressing an increase in the size of the electrical connection box 10.

[0036] Subsequently, the second case 14 is assembled horizontally to the first case 12, so that the opening of the recess partitioned by the bottom wall 22 and peripheral wall 24 of the first case 12 is covered by the second case 14. This completes the housing 16, and the electrical connection box 10 is completed, with the assembly parts 20 housed in the parts housing section 18 that opens on the outer surface of the housing 16.

[0037] In the electrical junction box 10 with the structure described above, when the first case 12 and the second case 14 constituting the hollow housing 16 are mounted on the vehicle in a horizontal direction, the terminal portion 68 of a relay 66, which is an example of an electrical component held in the third case 64 of the assembly part 20, and the connection portion 70 that is electrically conductive to the internal circuit connected to the terminal portion 68, extend vertically and are exposed below the third case 64. As a result, even if water that has entered through the opening of the component housing portion 18 exposed on the outer surface of the housing 16 reaches the contact point between the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 held in the third case 64 and the connection portion 70 connected to the terminal portion, since the terminal portion 68 and the connection portion 70 extend vertically and are exposed below the third case 64, gravity will quickly guide the water droplets vertically downward and allow them to be discharged to the outside from below the third case 64. Therefore, with the electrical junction box 10, even when the electrical junction box 10 is mounted in a vehicle with the assembly direction of the first case 12 and the second case 14 constituting the housing 16 being horizontal, drainage from the contact area between the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 and the connection portion 70 which is electrically connected to the internal circuit in the housing 16 can be promoted. As a result, water droplets can remain at the connection area between the terminal portion 68 and the connection portion 70, preventing or suppressing the risk of corrosion at the contact area between the terminal portion 68 and the connection portion 70, which could lead to poor conductivity or fire.

[0038] In the electrical junction box 10, the relay 66 held in the third case 64 is exposed to the outside through the upper opening window 30. This makes it possible to attach and detach the relay 66 to the third case 64 through the upper opening window 30, thereby improving the maintainability of the electrical junction box 10.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m that protrude downward from the third case 64 each have a supported portion 94 that protrudes horizontally and is supported by the support wall 32. Therefore, since the supported portions 94 of the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m, which are conductive members connected to the connection portion 70 connected to the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66, are supported by the support wall 32, the detachment of the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m from the third case 64 is prevented, and a stable connection state between the relay 60 and the internal circuit (busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m) can be maintained. Furthermore, since the supported portions 94 of the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m, which are supported by the support wall 32, are guided and installed in the gaps between the guide protrusions 36 that protrude from the support wall 32, stable insulation between the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m can be ensured.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m that protrude downward from the third case 64 have a downward extension portion 98 that extends vertically downward via a first bend portion 96 provided in the supported portion 94 at a position that exceeds the support wall 32 in the horizontal direction, and an overlap portion 102 that protrudes toward the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12 via a second bend portion 100 provided at the extension end of the downward extension portion 98 and overlaps the support wall 32 in the vertical direction. Even if the assembled part 20 has busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m of this shape held in the third case 64, by assembling the assembled part 20 to the part housing 18 horizontally from the opening on the second case 14 side of the part housing 18, it is possible to avoid the overlapping portion 102 of the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m that protrude downward from the third case 64 having an overlapping portion 102 that overlaps vertically with the support wall 32 and partition wall 54 of the part housing 18, by utilizing the fact that the assembled part 20 is assembled to the part housing 18 horizontally from the opening on the second case 14 side of the part housing 18. Therefore, it is possible to assemble the assembly part 20 into the component housing section 18 of the first case 12 while the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m are held in the assembly part 20, enabling the simultaneous assembly of the assembly part 20, including the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m that constitute the internal circuit, into the first case 12, thereby improving assembly work efficiency.

[0041] <Variation> While Embodiment 1 has been described in detail above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the objectives of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0042] (1) In Embodiment 1, a specific example of a structure in which the assembly parts 20 are assembled horizontally into the parts housing section 18 of the first case 12 was shown, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Figures 9 to 10, the assembly parts 20 may be assembled from above into the parts housing section 18 of the first case 12 through an upper opening window 30. In this case, it would be difficult to assemble the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m, which have overlapping portions 102 that overlap vertically with the support wall 32 and partition wall 54, while they are held in place by the assembly part 20. Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, these busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m may be pre-routed to the first case 12 side, and when the assembly part 20 is assembled to the component housing section 18, the respective ends 107 of the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m placed on the support wall 32 may be pressed into the connecting portion 70 held in the holding cylinder portion 80 of the third case 64, thereby making electrical contact between the busbars 50j, 50k, 50l, and 50m and the connecting portion.

[0043] In the modified configuration shown in Figures 9 to 10, the assembly parts 20 are assembled from above into the component housing section 18 of the first case 12, and then the second case 14, shown by the dashed line, is assembled horizontally into the first case 12. Alternatively, the assembly parts 20 may be assembled to the housing 16, which is assembled horizontally into the first case 12 by the second case 14, shown by the dashed line, through an upward opening window 30 that opens on the top surface of the housing 16. This also improves the ease of assembly of the electrical connection box 10.

[0044] In the modified examples shown in Figures 9 to 10, the assembly direction of the assembly parts 20 into the parts housing section 18 is vertical, and therefore the engaging projection 104 and engaging recess 106 have a different structure from those in Embodiment 1. Specifically, a pair of rectangular plate-shaped engaging protrusions 104 extending vertically are provided on the bottom wall 22 of the first case 12 that partitions the parts storage section 18. As shown in Figure 10, a pair of engaging recesses 106 extending vertically and opening downwards are provided on the peripheral wall 74 of the assembly part 20 at two locations corresponding to the engaging protrusions 104. When the assembly part 20 is assembled into the parts storage section 18 from above through the upper opening window 30, the engaging protrusions 104 protruding from the bottom wall 22 fit into the engaging recesses 106 provided on the peripheral wall 74 of the assembly part 20, thereby positioning and holding the assembly part 20 in the parts storage section 18. When assembling the assembly parts 20 into the parts housing section 18, the engagement of the engaging projection 104 and the engaging recess 106 guides the third case 64 to be assembled into a predetermined position in the parts housing section 18 through the upper opening window 30, thereby achieving stable assembly and retention of the assembly parts 20 and the parts housing section 18.

[0045] Furthermore, the third case 64 is provided with cantilever-shaped elastic locking parts 108 extending vertically downward on both sides. The pair of connecting walls 34, 34 of the parts housing section 18 are each provided with protruding locking parts 110 at positions corresponding to the elastic locking parts 108. When the third case 64 of the assembly part 20 is inserted into the parts housing section 18 from above through the upper opening window 30, the elastic locking parts 108 come into contact with the locking parts 110, causing the elastic locking parts 108 to elastically deform inward, allowing the third case 64 to be inserted into the parts housing section 18. Further pushing the third case 64 causes the elastic locking parts 108 to elastically return to their original position, overcoming the locking parts 110, and completing the mounting of the assembly part 20 into the parts housing section 18. In this state, the elastically returned elastic locking parts 108 engage with the locking parts 110, preventing the assembly part 20 from detaching upward from the parts housing section 18. This ensures that the assembly parts 20 are securely mounted in the parts housing section 18. Moreover, since it is only necessary to provide the elastic locking section 108 and the locked section 110 on one and the other opposing surfaces of the parts housing section 18 and the third case 64, the size of the electrical connection box 10 can be kept down.

[0046] (2) In the embodiment 1 described above, the component housing section 18 was exposed to the outer surface of the housing 16 through the upper opening window 30, but is not limited to this. For example, the component housing section may be exposed to the outer surface through an opening window that opens to the side of the housing, and the opening direction of the component housing section 18 can be any as long as a configuration is ensured in which the terminal portion and connection portion held in the third case are extended vertically and exposed below the third case when the assembly direction of the first case and the second case constituting the housing 16 is set to the horizontal direction.

[0047] (3) In the embodiment 1 described above, an example was shown in which a relay 66 was attached as an electrical component held in the third case 64 of the assembly part 20. However, any electrical component can be used as the electrical component held in the third case 64, as long as it has a terminal portion 68 that is connected to the connection portion 70 and extends vertically.

[0048] (4) In the embodiment 1 described above, an example was shown in which a connector mounting portion 78 was provided on the electrical connection box 10. However, the invention is not limited to this, and other electrical component mounting portions or fastening portions may be provided instead of or in addition to the connector mounting portion.

[0049] (5) In the embodiment 1 described above, the connecting portion 70 connected to the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 (electrical component) had a cylindrical shape into which the terminal portion 68 of the relay 66 could be press-fitted. However, the connecting portion can be of any shape as long as it is connected to the terminal portion of the electrical component, extends vertically, and can be held in the third case. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 10. Electrical junction box 12. Case 1 14. Case 2 16 cabinets 18. Parts storage section 20 Assembly Parts 22 Bottom wall 24 Peripheral wall 26 Fixed part 28 bolt insertion holes 30 Upward opening window 32 Supporting wall 34 Connecting wall 36 Guide protrusions 38 Engaging recess 40 Elastic locking part 42 Elastic tongue 44 Locking claws 46a~c Nut holding part (first case side) 48a~b Bolt fastening section 49 Through hole 50 a.m. bus bar 50e-1, 50e-2 One end and the other end of busbar 50e 52a~d Fastening bolts 54 Partition wall 56a, 56b Connector mounting section 58a~c Nut holding part (second case side) 60a, 60b recess 62a, 62b fuses 64 Case 3 66 Relay 68 Terminal section 70 Connection part 72 Flat plate part 74 Peripheral wall part 76 Relay mounting section 78 Connector mounting section 80 Holding cylinder part 82 Tab terminals 84 Through window 86 Elastic locking part 88 Locking projection 90 Engagement protrusion 92 Locked part 94 Supported part 96 1st bending part 98 Downward extension part 100 2nd bending part 102 Overlap section 104 Engaging projection (modified version) 106 Engaging recess (modified version) 107 End 108 Elastic locking part (modified version) 110 Locked part (modified version)

Claims

1. A hollow enclosure formed by assembling the first case and the second case, A component housing section is provided between the first case and the second case and opens to the outer surface of the housing, The assembly includes an assembly part housed in the aforementioned parts housing section, The assembly part includes a third case, an electrical component held in the third case, and a connection portion of a conductive member constituting an internal circuit, which is held in the third case and connected to the terminal portion of the electrical component. An electrical junction box in which, with the assembly direction of the first case and the second case being horizontal, the terminal portion and the connection portion of the assembled parts housed in the parts housing section are held by the third case and extend vertically, exposing them below the third case.

2. The housing has an upward-opening window that penetrates the peripheral wall of the first case located above the vertical direction of the housing, and the component housing opens to the outer surface of the housing through the upward-opening window. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the electrical components held in the third case are exposed to the outside through the upper opening window.

3. The first case has a support wall that protrudes horizontally from the bottom wall of the first case at a portion separated downward from the upper opening window, The component housing section is configured to include the support wall, The electrical junction box according to claim 2, wherein the busbar, as the conductive member, is electrically connected to the connection portion and protrudes from the third case, and is supported by the support wall.

4. The component housing and the third case are provided on one and the other of their opposing surfaces, and have an engaging recess and an engaging projection that extend in the horizontal direction and fit together with each other, The electrical connection box according to claim 3, wherein the third case is assembled into the component housing in the horizontal direction from the opening on the second case side of the component housing which is the protruding end side of the support wall, and the assembled component is positioned and held in the component housing by the engagement of the engagement recess and the engagement projection.

5. The electrical junction box according to claim 4, wherein the busbar protruding from the third case of the assembly part has a supported portion that protrudes horizontally and is supported by the support wall, a downward extension portion that extends vertically downward via a first bend portion provided at a position beyond the support wall of the supported portion, and an overlapping portion that protrudes toward the bottom wall of the first case via a second bend portion provided at the extension end of the downward extension portion and overlaps the support wall in the vertical direction.

6. The component housing and the third case are provided on one and the other of their opposing surfaces, and have an engaging recess and an engaging projection that extend in the vertical direction and fit together with each other, The electrical connection box according to claim 2, wherein the third case is assembled to the component housing section in the vertical direction from the upper opening window, and the assembly component is positioned and held in the component housing section by the engagement of the engaging recess and the engaging protrusion.

7. The component housing and the third case have an elastic locking portion and a locked portion that engage with each other, provided on one and the other of their mutually opposing surfaces. The electrical connection box according to claim 3 or 6, wherein the elastic locking portion contacts the locked portion and undergoes elastic deformation, thereby allowing the insertion of the third case into the component housing, and the elastic locking portion overcomes the locked portion and returns to its original position, thereby engaging with the locked portion and preventing the third case from detaching from the component housing.

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