Electrical Junction Box

Abstract

To provide an electric connection box capable of suppressing heat rise on electronic components easily and effectively using heat-absorbing members, while making it possible to improve the workability of assembly.SOLUTION: The vehicular electrical connection box includes a bus bar 11a that has a through-hole 114a on one end and is screwed to a relay 10 using the through-hole 114a. The electrical connection box includes a heat-absorbing member 12a attached to the one end to absorb heat from the relay 10. The heat-absorbing member 12a has a through-hole 122a corresponding to the through-hole 114a and an engagement part 121a for engaging with the bus bar 11a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical junction box for a vehicle having a bus bar. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electric junction boxes having circuits using bus bars for conducting relatively large currents have been installed in vehicles. In recent years, the value of the current flowing through the bus bars has been increasing along with the expansion of vehicle functions.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply device that includes a relay and a bus bar connected to the relay, and dissipates heat generated by the relay by forming heat dissipation fins on the bus bar or by bending the bus bar to contact it with a chassis. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-79093 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, the electronic components of the electrical junction box include those that generate high levels of heat during operation. The heat generated by such electronic components can cause malfunctions of the components themselves and can also adversely affect surrounding electronic components, so it is necessary to suppress it.

[0006] In contrast, in the power supply device of Patent Document 1, heat generated in an electronic component (relay) is dissipated through a bus bar, but the bus bar has heat dissipation fins or bent portions, making the bus bar structure complex and not only is the effect of suppressing heat rise in the electronic component sufficient.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide an electrical connection box that can easily and effectively suppress heat rise in electronic components using a heat absorbing material while improving assembly workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electrical junction box according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an electrical junction box for a vehicle having a bus bar having a through hole at one end and being screwed to an electronic component using the through hole, and further comprising a heat absorption member attached to the one end and absorbing heat from the electronic component, the heat absorption member having a corresponding through hole corresponding to the through hole and an engagement portion that engages with the bus bar. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical junction box that can easily and effectively suppress heat rise in electronic components using a heat absorbing member while improving assembly workability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical junction box according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper case is omitted in the electrical junction box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in the electrical junction box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in the electrical junction box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 5. [Figure 8]10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in an electrical junction box according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in an electrical junction box according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 9 is a view taken along line XX in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in an electrical junction box according to a third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in an electrical junction box according to a third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a bus bar and a heat absorbing member in an electrical junction box according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a view taken along the arrow XIV in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the position of the heat absorbing member in FIG. 14 has been shifted. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Description of the embodiment of the present invention] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. In addition, at least some of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

[0012] (1) An electrical junction box according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an electrical junction box for a vehicle including a bus bar having a through hole at one end and being screwed to an electronic component using the through hole, the electrical junction box including a heat absorbing member attached to the one end and absorbing heat from the electronic component, the heat absorbing member having a corresponding through hole corresponding to the through hole and an engaging portion that engages with the bus bar.

[0013] In this aspect, when the engaging portion of the heat absorbing member engages with the bus bar, the corresponding through hole aligns with the through hole of the bus bar, so that the heat absorbing member and the bus bar can be screwed to the electronic component simultaneously. Therefore, the heat absorbing member can quickly absorb heat from the electronic components, and the workability of assembly can be improved.

[0014] (2) In an electrical junction box according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bus bar has an engagement through hole that engages with the engagement portion.

[0015] In this aspect, the engaging portion of the heat absorbing member is inserted into and engaged with the engaging through hole of the bus bar. At this time, the corresponding through hole is aligned with the through hole of the bus bar, so that the heat absorbing member and the bus bar can be simultaneously screwed to the electronic component. Therefore, the heat absorbing member can quickly absorb heat from the electronic components, and the workability of assembly can be improved.

[0016] (3) In the electrical junction box according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the engaging portion is hook-shaped.

[0017] In this aspect, since the engaging portion has a hook shape, after the engaging portion of the heat absorbing member engages with the bus bar, it is possible to prevent the engaged state from being released. Therefore, the efficiency of assembly can be further improved.

[0018] (4) In the electrical junction box according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bus bar has an edge formed with a notch that engages with the engaging portion.

[0019] In this aspect, the notch is formed on the edge of the bus bar, and the engagement portion of the heat absorbing member engages with the notch. Therefore, a worker can easily engage the engaging portion with the notch, which further improves the efficiency of assembly.

[0020] (5) In an electrical junction box according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the heat absorbing member is made of copper or aluminum.

[0021] In this embodiment, since the heat absorbing member is made of a material having high thermal conductivity such as copper or aluminum, it can quickly absorb heat from the electronic component.

[0022] [Details of the embodiment of the present invention] The present invention will be specifically described based on the drawings showing the embodiments. An electric junction box according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0023] In the following, the present embodiment will be described taking, as an example, an electrical connection box that houses a relay as an electronic component.

[0024] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a perspective view showing an electric junction box 100 according to embodiment 1. The electric junction box 100 includes a housing 50 that houses electronic components. The housing 50 is made of, for example, metal or resin, and houses a relay 10, which will be described later.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the electrical junction box 100 according to the first embodiment with the upper case 51 omitted. In the electrical junction box 100, the housing 50 is composed of an upper case 51 to which the relay 10 is fixed, and a lower case 52 covered by the upper case 51. The electrical junction box 100 is attached to, for example, a battery pack of an EV (Electric Vehicle). The electrical junction box 100 is attached so that a bottom plate 521 of the lower case 52 comes into contact with the battery pack of the EV.

[0026] As described below, relay 10 is fixed to ceiling plate 513 of upper case 51. Bus bars 11a and 11b are provided near inner surface 523 of bottom plate 521 of lower case 52, which faces ceiling plate 513. Parts of bus bars 11a and 11b are interposed between relay 10 and inner surface 523. Hereinafter, bus bars 11a and 11b will also be referred to as bus bars 11 for convenience.

[0027] 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

[0028] For example, the relay 10 is switched to an ON state when the vehicle is running, and is switched to an OFF state when the vehicle is not running. The relay 10 has a rectangular box shape, and is provided such that one surface 102 of the relay 10 faces the bus bar 11 (inner surface 523).

[0029] Furthermore, in the relay 10, two connecting pieces 106 are provided on the other surface 104 opposite to the one surface 102 (see FIG. 2). The connecting pieces 106 are respectively connected to two opposing edges of the other surface 104. The two connecting pieces 106 are provided diagonally from each other and extend from the edges of the other surface 104 along the other surface 104. A through hole 108 is formed in the connecting piece 106, penetrating the connecting piece 106 in the thickness direction. The relay 10 is fixed to the upper case 51 by inserting a bolt (not shown) into the through hole 108 and screwing it into a screw hole provided in, for example, the ceiling plate 513 of the upper case 51.

[0030] Furthermore, the relay 10 has four side surfaces rising vertically from the four edges of the rectangular one surface 102, and a terminal 101 is provided on one of the side surfaces 107, as described below. That is, the relay 10 is provided so that the one surface 102 faces the inner surface 523, and the side surface 107 intersects with the inner surface 523.

[0031] Side surface 107 is a rectangle whose longitudinal direction is the direction in which ceiling plate 513 and bottom plate 521 face each other (hereinafter referred to as the vertical direction). Two terminals 101 are provided on side surface 107. The two terminals 101 are arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the horizontal direction). The two terminals 101 are connected to bus bars 11a and 11b, respectively. Only one terminal 101 is shown in FIG. 3.

[0032] Each terminal 101 has a cylindrical shape, most of which is embedded inside the relay 10, with only one end exposed from a side surface 107. A screw thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of each terminal 101.

[0033] Furthermore, a partition plate 103 is provided between the two terminals 101 on a side surface 107 of the relay 10, rising vertically from the side surface 107. The two terminals 101 are separated by the partition plate 103. The partition plate 103 is generally rectangular and extends vertically.

[0034] The bus bar 11 is made of, for example, a metal plate having good electrical conductivity. One of the two terminals 101 of the relay 10 is connected to a bus bar 11a, and the other terminal 101 is connected to a bus bar 11b.

[0035] The busbar 11a has a flat portion 111a that faces one surface 102 of the relay 10 and an inner surface 523 of the bottom plate 521. A contact portion 112a and a fixing portion 113a that extend in the vertical direction are connected to two opposing edges of the flat portion 111a, respectively.

[0036] The contact portion 112a is a generally rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction being the vertical direction, and is disposed adjacent to the side surface 107 of the relay 10. The contact portion 112a extends along the side surface 107, and has a through hole 114a formed in the generally central portion in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the contact portion 112a has a rectangular through hole 116a (engagement through hole) formed at the end portion close to the flat portion 111a, which penetrates in the thickness direction.

[0037] In fixed portion 113a, an end portion is bent in parallel with bottom plate 521, and a through hole 115a (see FIG. 2) is formed in such end portion. Fixed portion 113a (bus bar 11a) is fixed to lower case 52 using through hole 115a.

[0038] Busbar 11b has flat portion 111b facing inner surface 523 of bottom plate 521. Furthermore, contact portion 112b and fixing portion 113b extending in the vertical direction are connected to two opposing edges of flat portion 111b, respectively.

[0039] The contact portion 112b is a generally rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction as the longitudinal direction, and is disposed adjacent to the side surface 107 of the relay 10. The contact portion 112b extends along the side surface 107, and has a through hole (not shown) formed in the generally central portion in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the contact portion 112b has a rectangular through hole 116b (engagement through hole) formed at the end portion close to the flat portion 111b, which penetrates in the thickness direction.

[0040] Moreover, in fixed portion 113b, an end portion is bent in parallel with bottom plate 521, and a through hole 115b (see FIG. 2) is formed in such end portion. Fixed portion 113b (bus bar 11b) is fixed to lower case 52 using through hole 115b.

[0041] Pressing portions 13 protrude from ceiling plate 513 of upper case 51 and press busbar 11 against bottom plate 521. Pressing portions 13 extend vertically from ceiling plate 513 and press flat portions 111a of busbar 11a and flat portions 111b of busbar 11b against bottom plate 521.

[0042] For example, pressing portion 13 is formed integrally with upper case 51, and when assembly of electrical junction box 100 is complete, the tip of pressing portion 13 always contacts flat portions 111a, 111b, pressing bus bars 11a, 11b against bottom plate 521.

[0043] Meanwhile, the relay 10 generates a large amount of heat during operation. This heat not only can cause malfunction of the relay itself, but can also adversely affect electrical components around the relay 10, and so needs to be suppressed.

[0044] In the electric junction box 100 according to the first embodiment, the heat generated in the relay 10 is absorbed and dispersed by using a separate member that increases the so-called thermal mass (taking in and storing heat) or heat capacity. This makes it possible to simply and effectively suppress heat rise in the relay 10. As such separate members, in the electric junction box 100, as shown in FIG. 4, heat absorbing members 12a and 12b are attached to the connection portion between the relay 10 and the bus bar 11. That is, the heat absorbing member 12a is attached to the bus bar 11a, and the heat absorbing member 12b is attached to the bus bar 11b. This will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a in the electric junction box 100 according to the first embodiment, Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a, and Fig. 7 is a view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 5. For convenience, only the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a are shown in Figs. 5 to 7.

[0046] As described above, contact portion 112a of bus bar 11a is disposed adjacent to side surface 107 of relay 10, with one surface facing side surface 107. Heat absorbing member 12a is attached to the other surface of contact portion 112a.

[0047] Heat absorbing member 12a is made of a metal plate material such as Al or Cu, and may be made of the same material as busbar 11a. Heat absorbing member 12a has rectangular plate 123a extending in the vertical direction. Rectangular plate 123a has a vertical dimension shorter than contact portion 112a and a horizontal dimension longer than contact portion 112a. Rectangular plate 123a has through hole 122a (corresponding through hole) penetrating in the thickness direction at approximately the center in the vertical direction.

[0048] In the heat absorbing member 12a, an engagement portion 121a that engages with the contact portion 112a is provided at approximately the center of one of the two short sides of the rectangular plate 123a on the flat portion 111a side. The engagement portion 121a is L-shaped in vertical cross section. That is, the engagement portion 121a is strip-shaped, and the tip portion is bent toward the contact portion 112a. The tip portion of the engagement portion 121a engages with the rectangular through hole 116a of the contact portion 112a.

[0049] That is, the tip of the engaging portion 121a is rectangular in cross section, and the rectangular through-hole 116a of the contact portion 112a has a shape following the tip of the engaging portion 121a. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the tip of the engaging portion 121a is inserted into the rectangular through-hole 116a, and the engaging portion 121a (heat absorbing member 12a) engages with the contact portion 112a.

[0050] This determines the position of the heat absorbing member 12a relative to the contact portion 112a. That is, when the engaging portion 121a engages with the contact portion 112a (rectangular through hole 116a), the other short side of the rectangular plate 123a is aligned with the short side of the contact portion 112a, and the position of the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a matches the position of the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a (see FIG. 5).

[0051] In this manner, with the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a aligned, the heat absorbing member 12a and the contact portion 112a (bus bar 11a) are screwed to the relay 10 by the bolt 105 (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0052] That is, bolt 105 is inserted through through hole 122a and through hole 114a and screwed into terminal 101, thereby fixing heat absorbing member 12a and contact portion 112a (bus bar 11a) to terminal 101. Bus bar 11a is electrically connected to terminal 101 of relay 10, and heat absorbing member 12a is in pressure contact with bus bar 11a.

[0053] Moreover, one surface of the contact portion 112b of the busbar 11b faces the side surface 107, and the other surface of the contact portion 112b is attached to the heat absorbing member 12b, and the heat absorbing member 12b has a rectangular plate 123b and an engaging portion 121b. As shown in Fig. 4, the tip of the engaging portion 121b is inserted into the rectangular through hole 116b of the contact portion 112b, and the engaging portion 121b (heat absorbing member 12b) engages with the contact portion 112b. At this time, the through hole (not shown) of the rectangular plate 123b and the through hole (not shown) of the contact portion 112b are aligned, and the bolt 105 is inserted through the through hole of the rectangular plate 123b and the through hole of the contact portion 112b and screwed to the terminal 101, whereby the heat absorbing member 12b and the contact portion 112b (busbar 11b) are screwed to the relay 10 (see Fig. 4).

[0054] Heat absorbing members 12a, 12b have substantially the same shape, and the positional relationship between bus bar 11a and heat absorbing member 12a is similar to the positional relationship between bus bar 11b and heat absorbing member 12b, so a detailed description of heat absorbing member 12b will be omitted.

[0055] As described above, in electrical junction box 100 according to embodiment 1, at the connection portion between relay 10 and bus bar 11, heat absorbing member 12a is attached to bus bar 11a, and heat absorbing member 12b is attached to bus bar 11b.

[0056] Therefore, heat generated in the relay 10 when energized is quickly transferred to the heat absorbing members 12a, 12b via the contact parts 112a, 112b and absorbed. The heat absorbing members 12a, 12b can store a considerable amount of heat from the relay 10 and disperse the heat from the relay 10 to prevent the temperature of the relay 10 and the contact parts 112a, 112b from rising excessively. The heat absorbed by the heat absorbing members 12a, 12b is air-cooled via the surfaces of the heat absorbing members 12a, 12b.

[0057] When assembling the electric connection box 100 according to the first embodiment, the worker inserts and engages the engagement portions 121a and 121b of the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b into the rectangular through holes 116a and 116b of the contact portions 112a and 112b, aligns the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a with the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a, and aligns the through hole of the rectangular plate 123b with the through hole of the contact portion 112b. In this aligned state, the worker inserts a bolt 105 into the through hole of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole of the contact portion 112a to screw it into the corresponding terminal 101, and also inserts a bolt 105 into the through hole of the rectangular plate 123b and the through hole of the contact portion 112b to screw it into the corresponding terminal 101.

[0058] At this time, since the engagement portions 121a, 121b are engaged with the rectangular through holes 116a, 116b, when the worker rotates the bolt 105, the heat absorption members 12a, 12b are prevented from rotating together and the positions of the heat absorption members 12a, 12b are prevented from shifting due to such rotation, thereby improving workability.

[0059] Furthermore, by engaging the engaging portions 121a, 121b of the heat absorption members 12a, 12b with the rectangular through holes 116a, 116b of the contact portions 112a, 112b, the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a are aligned, and the through hole of the rectangular plate 123b and the through hole of the contact portion 112b are aligned, thereby reducing intersections and facilitating design.

[0060] As described above, the heat of the relay 10 absorbed by the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b is air-cooled through the surfaces of the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b. Therefore, the surfaces of the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b that are not in contact with the contact parts 112a and 112b may be formed with projections and recesses. In this case, the area of ​​the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b that comes into contact with the air becomes larger, so that the heat stored in the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b can be more efficiently cooled by air.

[0061] In the above, the relay 10 has been described as an example of an electronic component that generates heat when activated, but the present invention is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to other electronic components, such as semiconductor switches.

[0062] (Embodiment 2) Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a in the electric junction box 100 according to the second embodiment, Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a, and Fig. 10 is a view taken along the line XX in Fig. 8. For convenience, only the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a are shown in Figs. 8 to 10.

[0063] The electrical junction box 100 according to the second embodiment includes bus bars 11a and 11b, and heat absorbing members 12a and 12b, similarly to the first embodiment. The heat absorbing members 12a and 12b have substantially the same shape, and the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a is similar to the positional relationship between the bus bar 11b and the heat absorbing member 12b. Therefore, in the following, the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a will be described as an example with reference to Figures 8 to 10, and a description of the bus bar 11b and the heat absorbing member 12b will be omitted.

[0064] In the electric connection box 100 according to the second embodiment, an engagement hole 117a (engagement through hole) that engages with the heat absorbing member 12a is formed in the bus bar 11a. The engagement hole 117a is formed from the flat portion 111a to the contact portion 112a. That is, the engagement hole 117a is formed by cutting out the center of the flat portion 111a and the contact portion 112a in the width direction in a substantially rectangular shape from the end of the flat portion 111a close to the contact portion 112a to the end of the contact portion 112a close to the flat portion 111a. Also, similar to the first embodiment, the heat absorbing member 12a is attached to the other surface of the contact portion 112a of the bus bar 11a.

[0065] The heat absorbing member 12a has a rectangular plate 123a extending in the vertical direction. The vertical dimension of the rectangular plate 123a is shorter than that of the contact portion 112a, and the horizontal dimension of the rectangular plate 123a is longer than that of the contact portion 112a. The rectangular plate 123a has a through hole 122a penetrating in the thickness direction at approximately the center in the vertical direction.

[0066] In heat absorbing member 12a, engaging portion 124a that engages with contact portion 112a is provided at approximately the center of one of the two short sides of rectangular plate 123a on the flat portion 111a side. Engaging portion 124a has a rectangular shape, and an end portion is bent toward contact portion 112a to form a hook shape (see FIG. 10). The end portion of engaging portion 124a engages with engaging hole 117a of bus bar 11a.

[0067] That is, the dimension of the end of the engaging portion 124a in the width direction is smaller than the dimension of the engaging hole 117a in the width direction of the contact portion 112a, and as shown in Figures 8 to 10, the end of the engaging portion 124a is inserted into the engaging hole 117a, and the engaging portion 124a (heat absorbing member 12a) engages with the contact portion 112a. Since the end of the engaging portion 124a is hook-shaped as described above, the tip of the engaging portion 124a is caught on one surface side of the contact portion 112a.

[0068] In this way, when the engaging portion 124a engages with the contact portion 112a (engagement hole 117a), the position of the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a matches the position of the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a, as shown in Fig. 8. In addition, the movement of the heat absorbing member 12a in the direction away from the contact portion 112a is restricted.

[0069] In this manner, with through hole 122a of rectangular plate 123a and through hole 114a of contact portion 112a aligned with each other, bolt 105 is inserted through through hole 122a and through hole 114a and screwed into terminal 101, thereby fixing heat absorbing member 12a and contact portion 112a (bus bar 11a) to terminal 101 (see FIG. 4). Bus bar 11a is electrically connected to terminal 101 of relay 10, and heat absorbing member 12a is in pressure contact with bus bar 11a.

[0070] Therefore, in the electric junction box 100 according to the second embodiment, heat generated in the relay 10 during energization is quickly absorbed by the heat absorbing member 12a via the contact portion 112a. The heat absorbing member 12a disperses the heat of the relay 10, thereby preventing the temperatures of the relay 10 and the contact portion 112a from excessively increasing.

[0071] When assembling the electric junction box 100 according to the second embodiment, the worker engages the engaging portion 124a with the contact portion 112a (engagement hole 117a) to align the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a with the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a. In this state, the worker inserts the bolt 105 into the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a, and screws it into the terminal 101.

[0072] At this time, since the engagement portion 124a and the engagement hole 117a are engaged with each other, when the worker rotates the bolt 105, the heat absorbing member 12a is prevented from rotating together with the bolt 105, and the position of the heat absorbing member 12a is prevented from shifting due to such rotation, thereby improving workability.

[0073] Furthermore, in the electric connection box 100 according to the second embodiment, as described above, the end of the engaging portion 124a is hook-shaped, so that when the engaging portion 124a engages with the engaging hole 117a, it is caught by the contact portion 112a, and the movement of the heat absorbing member 12a in the direction away from the contact portion 112a is restricted. Therefore, the workability can be further improved.

[0074] In the electric connection box 100 according to the second embodiment, the engagement hole 117a that engages with the heat absorbing member 12a (engagement portion 124a) is formed widely from the flat portion 111a to the contact portion 112a. Therefore, when an operator engages the engagement portion 124a with the engagement hole 117a, the operator can easily insert the engagement portion 124a into the engagement hole 117a. This further improves the workability.

[0075] In the above, bus bar 11a and heat absorbing member 12a have been described as an example, but it goes without saying that bus bar 11b and heat absorbing member 12b also have a similar configuration and provide the same effects.

[0076] The same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] (Embodiment 3) Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a in the electric junction box 100 according to the embodiment 3, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a. For convenience, Figs. 11 and 12 only show the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a.

[0078] The electrical junction box 100 according to the third embodiment includes bus bars 11a and 11b, and heat absorbing members 12a and 12b, similarly to the first embodiment. The heat absorbing members 12a and 12b have substantially the same shape, and the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a is similar to the positional relationship between the bus bar 11b and the heat absorbing member 12b. Therefore, in the following, the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a will be described as an example with reference to Figs. 11 and 12, and a description of the bus bar 11b and the heat absorbing member 12b will be omitted.

[0079] In the electric junction box 100 according to the third embodiment, a notch 118a that engages with the heat absorbing member 12a is formed in the bus bar 11a. The notch 118a is formed at an end portion near the flat portion 111a on an edge portion on one long side of the contact portion 112a. The notch 118a is rectangular and extends vertically from the edge portion of the contact portion 112a. Similarly to the first embodiment, a heat absorbing member 12a is attached to the other surface of the contact portion 112a of the busbar 11a.

[0080] The heat absorbing member 12a has a rectangular plate 123a extending in the vertical direction. The vertical dimension of the rectangular plate 123a is shorter than that of the contact portion 112a, and the horizontal dimension of the rectangular plate 123a is longer than that of the contact portion 112a. The rectangular plate 123a has a through hole 122a penetrating in the thickness direction at approximately the center in the vertical direction.

[0081] In the heat absorbing member 12a, an engagement portion 125a that engages with the contact portion 112a is provided at the end of one of the two short sides of the rectangular plate 123a on the flat portion 111a side. The engagement portion 125a is L-shaped in vertical cross section. That is, the engagement portion 125a is rectangular, and the tip portion is bent toward the contact portion 112a and engages with the notch 118a of the contact portion 112a.

[0082] That is, the tip of the engaging portion 125a is rectangular in cross section, and the notch 118a of the contact portion 112a has a shape following the tip of the engaging portion 125a. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the tip of the engaging portion 125a is inserted into the notch 118a, and the engaging portion 125a (heat absorbing member 12a) engages with the contact portion 112a.

[0083] In this way, when the engaging portion 125a engages with the contact portion 112a (notch 118a), the position of the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a matches the position of the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a, as shown in FIG.

[0084] In this manner, with through hole 122a of rectangular plate 123a and through hole 114a of contact portion 112a aligned with each other, bolt 105 is inserted through through hole 122a and through hole 114a and screwed into terminal 101, thereby fixing heat absorbing member 12a and contact portion 112a (bus bar 11a) to terminal 101 (see FIG. 4). Bus bar 11a is electrically connected to terminal 101 of relay 10, and heat absorbing member 12a is in pressure contact with bus bar 11a.

[0085] Therefore, in the electrical connection box 100 of embodiment 3, heat generated in the relay 10 when current is applied is quickly absorbed by the heat absorbing member 12a via the contact portion 112a, thereby preventing the temperatures of the relay 10 and the contact portion 112a from rising excessively.

[0086] When assembling the electric junction box 100 according to the third embodiment, the worker engages the engaging portion 125a with the contact portion 112a (the notch 118a) and aligns the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a with the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a. In this state, the worker inserts the bolt 105 into the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a, and screws it into the terminal 101.

[0087] At this time, since the engagement portion 125a and the notch 118a are engaged with each other, when the worker rotates the bolt 105, the heat absorbing member 12a is prevented from rotating together with the bolt 105, and the position of the heat absorbing member 12a is prevented from shifting due to such rotation, thereby improving workability.

[0088] In the electric junction box 100 according to the third embodiment, the notch 118a that engages with the heat absorbing member 12a (the engagement portion 125a) is formed at the end of the long side edge of the contact portion 112a. This makes it easy to form the notch 118a. When an operator engages the engagement portion 125a with the notch 118a, the operator only needs to insert the engagement portion 125a into the notch 118a from the side surface of the contact portion 112a, which makes the operation easier. This further improves the workability.

[0089] In the above, bus bar 11a and heat absorbing member 12a have been described as an example, but it goes without saying that bus bar 11b and heat absorbing member 12b also have a similar configuration and provide the same effects.

[0090] The same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] (Embodiment 4) Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between bus bar 11a and heat absorbing member 12a in electric junction box 100 according to embodiment 4, Fig. 14 is a diagram seen from arrow XIV in Fig. 13, and Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the position of heat absorbing member 12a in Fig. 14 has been shifted. For convenience, Figs. 13 to 15 show only relay 10, bus bar 11a, heat absorbing member 12a, and part of bottom plate 521, and for convenience, bolt 105 is omitted in Figs. 14 and 15.

[0092] The electrical junction box 100 according to the fourth embodiment includes bus bars 11a and 11b and heat absorbing members 12a and 12b, similarly to the first embodiment. The bus bars 11a and 11b have substantially the same shape, and the heat absorbing members 12a and 12b also have substantially the same shape, and the positional relationship between the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a is similar to the positional relationship between the bus bar 11b and the heat absorbing member 12b. Therefore, in the following, the bus bar 11a and the heat absorbing member 12a will be described as an example with reference to Figs. 13 to 15, and a description of the bus bar 11b and the heat absorbing member 12b will be omitted.

[0093] In the fourth embodiment, the bus bar 11a is provided closer to the ceiling plate 513 (not shown) than the relay 10. As in the first embodiment, the bus bar 11a has a flat portion 111a, a contact portion 112a, and a fixed portion 113a (not shown), and the flat portion 111a is interposed between the other surface 104 of the relay 10 and the ceiling plate 513, and faces the other surface 104. The contact portion 112a and the fixed portion 113a are connected to both ends of the flat portion 111a, and each extends toward the bottom plate 521.

[0094] The contact portion 112a is a substantially rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction being the longitudinal direction, adjacent to the side surface 107 of the relay 10, and one surface facing the side surface 107. The contact portion 112a has a through hole 114a (see FIG. 14) formed in the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction. The contact portion 112a has two engagement recesses 119a (see FIG. 15) formed on the edge portion close to the bottom plate 521 to engage with engagement strips 524 of the bottom plate 521, which will be described later. Each engagement recess 119a is rectangular, and the two engagement recesses 119a are formed at a predetermined interval. Similarly to the first embodiment, a heat absorbing member 12a is attached to the other surface of the contact portion 112a of the busbar 11a.

[0095] The heat absorbing member 12a has a rectangular plate 123a. The rectangular plate 123a has a vertical dimension shorter than that of the contact portion 112a and a horizontal dimension longer than that of the contact portion 112a. The rectangular plate 123a has a through hole 122a penetrating in the thickness direction at approximately the center in the vertical direction (see FIG. 14). In addition, the rectangular plate 123a has two engagement recesses 126a that engage with the engagement strips 524 of the bottom plate 521 formed at the edge portion close to the bottom plate 521 (see FIGS. 14 and 15). Each engagement recess 126a is rectangular, and the two engagement recesses 126a are formed at a predetermined interval. In the opposing direction of the heat absorbing member 12a and the contact portion 112a, the position of the engagement recess 126a of the heat absorbing member 12a corresponds to the position of the engagement recess 119a of the contact portion 112a.

[0096] Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, two engagement ribs 524 that engage with the engagement recess 126a of the heat absorbing member 12a and the engagement recess 119a of the contact portion 112a are protrudingly provided on the inner surface 523 of the bottom plate 521. Each engagement rib 524 is formed at a position corresponding to the engagement recess 126a of the heat absorbing member 12a and the engagement recess 119a of the contact portion 112a in the vertical direction, and extends along the opposing direction of the heat absorbing member 12a and the contact portion 112a. Each engagement rib 524 has a generally elongated rectangular shape in cross section, and has a chamfered tip. The engagement ribs 524 are integrally formed with the bottom plate 521.

[0097] When each engaging rib 524 engages with the engaging recess 126a of the heat absorbing member 12a and the engaging recess 119a of the contact portion 112a, the position of the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a matches the position of the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a, as shown in FIG.

[0098] In this manner, with through hole 122a of rectangular plate 123a and through hole 114a of contact portion 112a aligned with each other, bolt 105 is inserted through through hole 122a and through hole 114a and screwed into terminal 101 of relay 10, thereby fixing heat absorbing member 12a and contact portion 112a (bus bar 11a) to terminal 101 (see FIG. 13). Bus bar 11a is electrically connected to terminal 101 of relay 10, and heat absorbing member 12a is in pressure contact with bus bar 11a.

[0099] Therefore, in the electrical connection box 100 of embodiment 4, heat generated in the relay 10 when current is applied is quickly absorbed by the heat absorbing member 12a via the contact portion 112a, thereby preventing the temperatures of the relay 10 and the contact portion 112a from rising excessively.

[0100] Furthermore, when assembling the electric junction box 100 according to the fourth embodiment, the worker can align the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a simply by engaging each engaging strip 524 with the engaging recess 126a of the heat absorbing member 12a and the engaging recess 119a of the contact portion 112a. This facilitates the work of inserting the bolt 105 into the through hole 122a of the rectangular plate 123a and the through hole 114a of the contact portion 112a and screwing it into the terminal 101, thereby improving workability.

[0101] In the above, bus bar 11a and heat absorbing member 12a have been described as an example, but it goes without saying that bus bar 11b and heat absorbing member 12b also have a similar configuration and provide the same effects.

[0102] The same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 10 Relay (electronic component) 11,11a,11b Busbar 12a, 12b Heat absorbing member 13 Pressing section 50 Containment Case 51 Upper Case 52 Lower Case 100 Electrical junction box 101 Terminal 102 one side 103 Partition 105 Volts 107 Side 111a,111b flat part 112a,112b Contact part 114a Through hole 116a,116b Rectangular through hole (engagement through hole) 117a Engagement hole (engagement through hole) 118a Notch 119a Engagement recess 121a,121b Engagement part 122a Through hole (corresponding through hole) 123a,123b rectangular plate 124a Engagement part 125a Engagement part 126a Engagement recess 513 Ceiling Panel 521 Bottom plate 523 Inner surface 524 Engagement Clause

Claims

1. An electrical connection box for a vehicle, comprising a bus bar having a through hole at one end thereof and being screwed to an electronic component using the through hole, a heat absorbing member having electrical conductivity, attached to the one end of the bus bar, and configured to absorb heat from the electronic component; The heat absorbing member is A corresponding through hole corresponding to the through hole; an engagement portion that engages with the bus bar; an electrical junction box electrically connected to the bus bar;

2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar has an engagement through hole that engages with the engagement portion.

3. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is shaped like a hook.

4. 2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein a notch that engages with the engaging portion is formed on an edge of the bus bar.

5. 5. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the heat absorbing member is made of copper or aluminum.

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