Storage box

Abstract

To provide a storage box in which a cover part can be smoothly mounted while securing water cutoff property.SOLUTION: A storage box 1 comprises: a main body part 2 in which an electronic component can be stored and an opening 21 communicating the inside and the outside is formed; a cover part 3 which covers the opening 21 and is attached to the main body part 2; and a packing member 4 which is provided in the cover part 3 and disposed between the main body part 2 and the cover part 3 to perform water cutoff between the main body part 2 and the cover part 3. The packing member 4 performs the water cutoff in contact with a side face 22A of a sidewall 22 of the main body part 2 which is formed in a mounting direction of the cover part 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage box. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a container having a lid that can be opened and closed relative to a housing is known as a storage box, for example, as described in Patent Document 1. In this container, a packing is disposed at a position where the lid abuts against the housing, and the packing ensures a watertight function between the housing and the lid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-25135 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned container has room for improvement in that it is difficult to attach the lid to the housing when trying to improve the watertightness. For example, in the above-mentioned container, the housing is pressed against the packing provided on the lid to ensure watertightness, so the lid needs to be pressed strongly against the housing to achieve high watertightness. For this reason, a strong force is required to attach the lid to the housing, and the lid attachment work cannot be performed smoothly.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a storage box in which the cover can be smoothly attached while ensuring watertightness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In other words, the storage box of the present invention comprises a main body portion having an opening formed therein that allows electronic components to be stored therein and connects the inside and outside, a cover portion that covers the opening and is attached to the main body portion, and a gasket member that is provided on the cover portion and disposed between the main body portion and the cover portion to provide a watertight seal between the main body portion and the cover portion, and the gasket member is configured to contact the surface of the main body portion that is formed along the attachment direction of the cover portion to provide a watertight seal. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the storage box of the present invention, the cover portion can be smoothly attached while ensuring watertightness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a storage box according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a packing member of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container box taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container box taken along line III-III in FIG. 1 when the cover portion is attached. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the storage box according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example of the storage box according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] A storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0011] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a storage box according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is an explanatory view of a packing member of the storage box according to an embodiment, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the storage box taken along line III-III in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the storage box taken along line III-III in Fig. 1 when a cover part is attached.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage box 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, a box body for storing electronic components, and is mounted on a vehicle and used as an electrical connection box for storing electronic components including fuses and relays. The storage box 1 includes a main body 2, a cover 3, and a packing member 4. The main body 2 is a box member with an open top, and is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped. The main body 2 is capable of storing electronic components therein, and has an opening 21 formed on the top surface that communicates between the inside and the outside. The opening 21 of the main body 2 is closed by attaching the cover 3. The opening 21 is, for example, an opening that opens the entire top surface of the main body 2.

[0013] The side walls 22 of the main body 2 are provided with hooked portions 23. The side walls 22 are walls that form the sides of the main body 2, and four are formed on the front, back, left and right. The hooked portions 23 are portions that are hooked to the hooking portions 33 of the cover 3. The hooked portions 23 have hooked pieces 23A that are provided at a distance from the outer surface 22C of the side walls 22. One hooked portion 23 is provided at each of the upper positions of the two opposing side walls 22.

[0014] The cover part 3 is an upper cover that covers the opening 21 of the main body part 2, and can be attached to the main body part 2 while covering the opening 21. The cover part 3 has a top surface part 31 and a hanging part 32. The top surface part 31 is an upper surface part of the cover part 3, and is shaped to match the shape of the main body part 2, for example, rectangular or approximately rectangular. The hanging part 32 is a wall part that extends downward from the outer edge of the top surface part 31, and is formed around the entire outer edge of the top surface part 31. The cover part 3 is provided with a hook part 33. The hook part 33 is a part that engages with the hooked part 23 of the main body part 2 to hold and release the cover part 3 from the main body part 2. The hook part 33 is provided, for example, on the outer surface 32A of the hanging part 32, and is provided at a position corresponding to the hooked part 23. The hook part 33 constitutes a locking mechanism together with the hooked part 23. This locking mechanism may have any structure as long as it allows the cover part 3 to be attached to and detached from the main body part 2.

[0015] The packing member 4 is a water-stopping member that stops water between the main body 2 and the cover 3, and is made of resin. The packing member 4 is made of a resin that is less rigid than the cover 3, for example, an elastic resin such as an elastomer. The packing member 4 is provided, for example, by two-color molding. That is, the packing member 4 is provided by two-color molding with the cover 3, and is resin-molded with a different resin after the cover 3 is resin-molded.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the packing member 4 is provided on the cover portion 3 and disposed between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3, and performs watertightness between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3. The packing member 4 performs watertightness by contacting the surface of the main body portion 2 formed along the mounting direction of the cover portion 3 (Z direction in FIG. 3). For example, the packing member 4 performs watertightness by contacting the side surface 22A of the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 formed parallel to the mounting direction of the cover portion 3. Here, parallel includes substantially parallel. The packing member 4 is provided in a groove 34 formed in the cover portion 3. The groove 34 is formed between an outer wall 35 and an inner wall 36 provided at the lower part of the hanging portion 32. The hanging portion 32 branches inside and outside at the lower part to form the inner wall 36 and the outer wall 35. The inner wall 36 is a wall portion formed at the lower part of the hanging portion 32. The outer wall 35 is a wall portion that branches outward via the protruding portion 37, and is located outside the inner wall 36, and is provided parallel to the inner wall 36 at a predetermined distance from the inner wall 36. The protruding portion 37 is provided to protrude outward from the lower portion of the hanging portion 32, and the outer wall 35 hangs down from its tip. In addition, an extension portion 38 is formed in a continuous manner below the outer wall 35. The extension portion 38 is a wall portion that covers the outside of the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2. The groove 34 is formed by being surrounded by the inner wall 36, the protruding portion 37, and the outer wall 35, and is a space that is open downward. The groove 34 is formed along the extension direction of the lower edge of the hanging portion 32 (Y direction in FIG. 3).

[0017] The packing member 4 has a water stop portion 41 provided on the inner side surface 35A of the groove 34. The water stop portion 41 is a portion that contacts the side surface 22A of the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 inserted into the groove 34 to perform water stop. The water stop portion 41 has a lip 41A that contacts the main body portion 2. The lip 41A is a protrusion with a mountain-shaped cross section that protrudes toward the main body portion 2. For example, two lips 41A are provided, and are arranged side by side along the insertion direction of the main body portion 2 (Z direction in FIG. 3). The lip 41A is formed along the extension direction of the inner side surface 35A (Y direction in FIG. 3) and is a protrusion extending in the extension direction. The inner side surface 35A is the inner side surface of the outer wall 35, and the water stop portion 41 and the lip 41A are formed on the outer side with respect to the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 inserted into the groove 34. In other words, the water stop portion 41 is formed only on one side of the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2. The water stopper 41 may be formed on both sides of the side wall 22 as shown in FIG. 7, but here, it is provided so as to contact one of the inner and outer sides of the side wall 22 of the main body 2. Therefore, when the packing member 4 is resin-molded, the undercut portion can be reduced, and the packing member 4 can be easily demolded, resulting in good manufacturability. Furthermore, when the packing member 4 is resin-molded, even if the position of the gate serving as the resin injection port is set on the opposing surface of the end surface of the side wall 22, the water stopper 41 can perform water stop without impeding its water stopper function. In other words, even if there is a gate mark on the surface facing the end surface of the side wall 22, there is no need to contact the end surface of the side wall 22 with the packing member 4, so the water stopper function of the water stopper 41 is not affected, and water stoppage between the main body 2 and the cover 3 can be ensured.

[0018] The cover part 3 is provided with a pressing part 341. The pressing part 341 is a member formed at a position facing the packing member 4 and pressing the main body part 2 inserted between the packing member 4 toward the packing member 4. For example, the pressing part 341 is formed on the inner surface 36A of the groove 34 and presses the main body part 2 inserted into the groove 34 toward the water stop part 41. Specifically, the pressing part 341 is formed protruding from the inner surface 36A of the inner wall 36 toward the water stop part 41 and presses the side wall 22 of the main body part 2 toward the water stop part 41 provided on the inner surface 35A. The protruding length of the pressing part 341 is set so that the distance between the pressing part 341 and the lip 41A of the water stop part 41 is shorter than the thickness of the side wall 22 of the main body part 2. This allows the pressing part 341 to press the side wall 22 of the main body part 2 against the lip 41A. Further, a tapered surface 341A is formed on the lower part of the pressing part 341. The tapered surface 341A is a surface obtained by inclining the surface of the pressing part 341 facing the water stopping part 41, and is inclined so that the protruding length of the pressing part 341 decreases toward the bottom. In other words, the formation of the tapered surface 341A widens the entrance of the groove 34, and the side wall 22 of the main body part 2 can be smoothly inserted into the groove 34. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of pressing parts 341 are formed at preset intervals in the extension direction of the hanging part 32 (X direction and Y direction in FIG. 2). Note that the pressing parts 341 may be provided on the main body part 2 instead of the cover part 3.

[0019] In FIG. 3, the cover portion 3 is provided with a reinforcing rib 39. The reinforcing rib 39 is a member that is joined to the surface of the cover portion 3 and suppresses deformation of the outer wall 35 of the cover portion 3 at the position where the packing member 4 is provided. For example, the reinforcing rib 39 is joined to the surface 32A of the hanging portion 32 and the surface 37A of the protruding portion 37 in the cover portion 3, and suppresses deformation of the outer wall 35. The reinforcing rib 39 is, for example, a triangular plate-like member that is joined to the surface 37A of the protruding portion 37 and the surface 32A of the hanging portion 32 that are perpendicular to each other, and suppresses movement of the protruding portion 37 relative to the hanging portion 32. This suppresses deformation and movement of the outer wall 35 and the extension portion 38 relative to the hanging portion 32. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 39 are formed at preset intervals in the extension direction of the hanging portion 32 (the X direction and the Y direction in FIG. 1).

[0020] In Fig. 3, a protruding piece 24 is provided on the side wall 22 of the main body 2. The protruding piece 24 is a portion that protrudes from the side wall 22, and abuts against the hanging portion 32 of the cover part 3 to restrict the downward movement of the cover part 3. The protruding piece 24 is formed at an upper position of the side wall 22, and is formed in a continuous manner around the entire circumference of the four side walls 22, for example. As shown in Fig. 3, the protruding piece 24 is formed on the outer surface of the side wall 22 and is provided so as to abut against the lower end of the outer wall 35. In this way, the protruding piece 24 abuts against the outer wall 35, so that the groove 34 is blocked by the protruding piece 24, and the intrusion of water or the like from the outside into the groove 34 is suppressed.

[0021] Next, the attachment of the cover portion to the storage box according to this embodiment will be described.

[0022] 1, the cover part 3 is disposed above the opening 21 of the main body part 2, and the cover part 3 is attached to the main body part 2 so that the cover part 3 covers the opening 21. At this time, the cover part 3 is disposed so that the position of the hooking part 33 of the cover part 3 is aligned with the position of the hooked part 23 of the main body part 2.

[0023] 4, the cover part 3 approaches the main body part 2 from above, and the side wall 22 is inserted into the groove 34. At this time, the pressing part 341 is provided in the groove 34, and since the pressing part 341 has a tapered surface 341A, the side wall 22 is smoothly guided into the groove 34 without being caught by the pressing part 341.

[0024] Then, the lip 41A of the water stop part 41 comes into contact with the side surface 22A of the side wall 22, and the side wall 22 is inserted into the groove 34 with the lip 41A in contact with the side surface 22A. At this time, the contact direction of the water stop part 41 (X direction in FIG. 4) is not the same direction as the attachment direction of the cover part 3 (Z direction in FIG. 4) but is a direction intersecting the attachment direction, so that the attachment of the cover part 3 is performed smoothly. For example, if the end surface 122A of the side wall 122 is abutted against the packing 104 as shown in FIG. 5, the attachment direction of the cover part 103 (Z direction in FIG. 5) and the contact direction of the packing 104 (Z direction in FIG. 5) are the same direction, and the cover part 103 must be strongly pressed against the packing 104 in order to improve the water stop performance, and a strong attachment force is required to attach the cover part 103. In contrast, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the mounting direction of the cover part 3 and the contact direction of the water-stopping part 41 are not the same direction but intersect, so that a strong mounting force is not required when mounting the cover part 3. Therefore, the storage box 1 according to this embodiment can smoothly mount the cover part 3 while ensuring the water-stopping properties of the main body part 2 and the cover part 3.

[0025] Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the hanging portion 32 abuts against the protruding piece 24, and the cover portion 3 is fitted to the main body portion 2. In other words, the lower end of the outer wall 35 abuts against the protruding piece 24, and the insertion of the side wall 22 into the groove 34 is completed. At this time, the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 is pressed against the water stop portion 41 by the pressing portion 341, so that the water stop between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3 can be improved. For example, if the pressing portion 341 is not formed, the side wall 22 may fall and deform so as to move away from the water stop portion 41 (in FIG. 3, the side wall 22 falls to the left), and it is assumed that the water stop cannot be ensured. In contrast, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, such deformation of the side wall 22 is suppressed, and the water stop portion 41 can be reliably pressed against the side wall 22 to stop the water.

[0026] In addition, in the storage box 1 according to the present embodiment, the reinforcing rib 39 is provided to suppress deformation of the outer wall 35 and the extension portion 38 so as to open outward. This suppresses deterioration of the watertightness of the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3. For example, if the reinforcing rib 39 is not provided, there is a risk that the outer wall 35 and the extension portion 38 will be deformed so as to open outward when water pressure is applied from below the extension portion 38 or when the side wall 22 presses the outer wall 35 via the watertight portion 41. In contrast, in the storage box 1 according to the present embodiment, the reinforcing rib 39 suppresses deformation of the outer wall 35 and the extension portion 38, and suppresses deterioration of the watertightness of the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3.

[0027] Furthermore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the water stop portion 41 is in contact with the side surface 22A of the side wall 22, so the contact area can be made large, and the water stop performance can be improved. For example, if the end surface 122A of the side wall 122 is abutted against the packing 104 to stop water from entering, as shown in FIG. 5, the length of the end surface 122A (the length in the X direction in FIG. 5) is narrow, and the contact area between the side wall 122 and the packing 104 is narrow. Therefore, it is difficult to improve the water stop performance. In contrast, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the contact area between the side wall 22 and the water stop portion 41 can be made large, and the water stop performance can be improved.

[0028] Then, after the cover part 3 is fitted to the main body part 2, the hooking part 33 is hooked to the hooked part 23. This completes the attachment of the cover part 3.

[0029] As described above, according to the storage box 1 of this embodiment, water is stopped by bringing the packing member 4 into contact with the surface of the main body 2 formed along the mounting direction of the cover part 3, so that a strong force is not required to mount the cover part 3, and the water stop part 41 can ensure a water stop function between the main body part 2 and the cover part 3. Therefore, the storage box 1 of this embodiment allows the cover part 3 to be smoothly mounted while ensuring water stoppage.

[0030] Furthermore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the pressing portion 341 is formed in the groove 34, so that the main body portion 2 can be pressed toward the water-stopping portion 41. This makes it possible to improve the water-stopping property between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3.

[0031] In addition, the storage box 1 according to this embodiment is provided with the reinforcing ribs 39, which can suppress outward deformation of the outer wall 35. This can suppress deterioration of the waterproofing function of the main body 2 and the cover 3.

[0032] Furthermore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the main body 2 is inserted into the groove 34 between the inner wall 36 and the outer wall 35, and the packing member 4 provided on at least one of the inner wall 36 and the outer wall 35 is brought into contact with the side surface 22A of the main body 2 to achieve watertightness, so that a strong force is not required to attach the cover 3, and the watertight portion 41 can ensure a watertight function between the main body 2 and the cover 3. Therefore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the cover 3 can be smoothly attached while ensuring watertightness.

[0033] Furthermore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the watertight portion 41 of the packing member 4 is formed only on one side of the inner wall 36 or the outer wall 35. This makes it possible to reduce the number of undercuts that occur when the packing member 4 is resin-molded. Therefore, in the storage box 1 according to this embodiment, the packing member 4 can be easily demolded, improving manufacturability.

[0034] Although the storage box according to the embodiment has been described above, the storage box according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The storage box according to the present embodiment may be constructed by appropriately combining the components of the embodiment and modified examples described above.

[0035] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the water stop portion 41 of the packing member 4 comes into contact with the outer side surface 22A of the side wall 22 of the main body portion 2 to stop the water flow has been described, but as shown in Fig. 6, the water stop portion 41 may come into contact with the inner side surface 22B of the side wall 22 to stop the water flow. For example, the water stop portion 41 is provided on the inner side surface 36A of the inner wall 36 and comes into contact with the side surface 22B of the side wall 22 to stop the water flow. Even in this case, the same effect as that of the storage box 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained. In this case, the pressing portion 341 may be provided protruding from the inner surface of the outer wall 35.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the water-stopping portion 41 of the packing member 4 contacts only the side surface 22A on one side of the side wall 22 of the main body 2 to stop water, but as shown in FIG. 7, the water-stopping portion 41 may contact the side surfaces 22A and 22B on both sides of the side wall 22 to stop water. As shown in FIG. 8, the lip 41A contacting the side surface 22A and the lip 41B contacting the side surface 22B may be positioned at different positions in the height direction Z. In FIG. 8, the packing member 4 can be easily removed from the mold when it is molded from resin, compared to FIG. 7. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the lip 41A contacting the side surface 22A and the lip 41B contacting the side surface 22B may be formed one by one. In FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the undercut portion is reduced compared to FIG. 7, so that the packing member 4 can be easily removed from the mold when it is molded from resin. In addition, in FIG. 10, the lip 41A contacting the side surface 22A and the lip 41B contacting the side surface 22B are at different positions in the height direction Z, so that the packing member 4 can be easily removed from the mold when being molded from resin, compared to FIG. 9. Even in the cases of FIGS. 7 to 10, substantially the same effects as those of the storage box 1 according to the above-described embodiment can be obtained. For example, since the water stop portion 41 of the packing member 4 contacts the side surface of the main body portion 2 to stop water, a strong force is not required to attach the cover portion 3, and the water stop portion 41 can ensure the water stop function between the main body portion 2 and the cover portion 3. Therefore, the cover portion 3 can be smoothly attached while ensuring water stoppage.

[0037] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the storage box is an electrical connection box that is mounted on a vehicle and stores electronic components is described, but the storage box of the present invention may also be applied to a storage box that is not mounted on a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1: Storage box 2: Main body 3: Cover part 4: Packing material 21: Opening 22A: Side (front) 31:Top section 32: Drooping part 32A: Surface 34: Groove 35: Exterior wall (wall section) 35A:Inner surface 36:Inner wall 36A:Inner side 37A: Surface 39: Reinforcement rib 41: Water stop section 341: Pressing part

Claims

1. a main body portion capable of accommodating electronic components therein and having an opening portion communicating between the inside and the outside; a cover portion attached to the main body portion to cover the opening; a packing member provided on the cover portion, disposed between the main body portion and the cover portion, and performing watertight sealing between the main body portion and the cover portion; The packing member is in contact with a surface of the main body portion formed along the mounting direction of the cover portion to stop water from entering through the main body portion. The cover portion has a pressing portion formed at a position facing the packing member and pressing the main body portion inserted between the cover portion and the packing member toward the packing member. Storage box.

2. The cover portion has a reinforcing rib bonded to a surface of the cover portion and suppressing deformation of a wall portion of the cover portion on which the packing member is provided. The storage box according to claim 1.

3. A main body capable of accommodating electronic components therein and having an opening communicating the inside and outside of the main body; a cover portion attached to the main body portion to cover the opening; a packing member provided on the cover portion, disposed between the main body portion and the cover portion, and performing watertight sealing between the main body portion and the cover portion; The packing member is in contact with a surface of the main body portion formed along the mounting direction of the cover portion to stop water from entering through the main body portion. The cover portion has a reinforcing rib bonded to a surface of the cover portion and configured to suppress deformation of a wall portion of the cover portion on which the packing member is provided. Storage box.

4. The cover portion has a hanging portion that hangs down from an outer edge of the top surface portion, The hanging portion has a lower portion branched inward and outward to form an inner wall and an outer wall, and the main body portion is inserted into a groove between the inner wall and the outer wall, The packing member has a water stop portion provided on an inner surface of at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall, and the water stop portion is brought into contact with the surface of the main body portion inserted into the groove to perform water stop. The storage box according to claim 1 or 3.

5. The water-stopping portion is formed only on the inner surface of one of the inner wall and the outer wall. The storage box according to claim 4.

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