Electrical connection box

Abstract

To provide an electric connection box capable of preventing backlash from occurring between an electronic component and a recess in which the electronic component is stored.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an electric connection box comprising a component unit including an electronic component stored in a recess 20 and a connection member connecting a terminal of the electronic component to pedestals 30 and 40 outside of the recess 20. The electric connection box comprises: a positioning section 25 provided on a long-side sidewall 21 and a short-side sidewall 24 of the recess 20, protruding from ends of the long-side sidewall 21 and the short-side sidewall 24 and abutted against the connection member to position the component unit; and spring sections 28 and 29 provided in the recess 20 and pressing the component unit to the positioning section 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Vehicles are equipped with an electrical connection box that houses electronic components.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connection box in which, when screwing a fuse through a through-hole provided in a terminal portion of the fuse, a rotational force for turning the screw is directly transmitted to the terminal portion of the fuse that abuts against the head of the screw, and a bus bar is interposed between the terminal portion and the head of the screw to prevent deformation of the terminal portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] On the other hand, in order to improve workability, a method of forming a recess having a shape following that of an electronic component and positioning the electronic component in such a recess is widely adopted, including the electrical connection box of Patent Document 1.

[0006] However, due to design errors or tolerances, the dimensions of the recess may become larger than the expected values, or the dimensions of the electronic component may become smaller than the expected values. In this case, a gap is generated between the recess and the electronic component, and there is a problem that noise due to rattling occurs.

[0007] However, in the electrical connection box of Patent Document 1, no measures have been taken to address the problem of rattling caused by the formation of a gap between the electronic component and the recess for housing the electronic component, and such a problem cannot be solved.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electrical connection box capable of preventing rattling caused by a gap between an electronic component and a recess for housing the electronic component.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an electrical connection box including a component unit having an electronic component housed in a recess and a connection member for connecting a terminal of the electronic component to a contact outside the recess, the positioning portion provided on a side wall of the recess, protruding beyond an end of the side wall, and abutting against the connection member to determine a position of the component unit, and a pressing portion provided in the recess for pressing the component unit against the positioning portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent rattling caused by a gap between an electronic component and a recess for housing the electronic component.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Invention] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. Also, at least a part of the embodiments described below may be arbitrarily combined.

[0013] (1) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an electrical connection box including a component unit having an electronic component housed in a recess and a connection member for connecting a terminal of the electronic component to a contact outside the recess, wherein the positioning portion is provided on a side wall of the recess, protrudes from an end of the side wall, abuts against the connection member, and determines a position of the component unit, and a pressing portion is provided in the recess and presses the component unit against the positioning portion.

[0014] In this embodiment, for attachment to the electrical connection box, when the component unit (electronic component) is housed in the recess, the component unit is pressed toward the positioning portion by the pressing portion, and the component unit abuts against the positioning portion, thereby positioning the component unit. Therefore, the operation of attaching the component unit becomes easy, and workability is improved. Also, even after positioning, since the pressing portion continues to press the component unit, generation of rattling can be prevented.

[0015] (2) In the electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the positioning portion is provided across two side walls forming a corner.

[0016] In this embodiment, the positioning portion is provided on two side walls forming a corner. Therefore, it is possible to position the component unit from a plurality of points with different angles, and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

[0017] (3) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of pressing portions, including a first pressing portion provided on a side wall facing one of the two side walls and a second pressing portion provided on a side wall facing the other side wall.

[0018] In this embodiment, the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion are respectively provided at positions facing the positioning portion in the recess. Therefore, the component unit can be more reliably brought into contact with the positioning portion, and the positioning accuracy of the component unit can be improved.

[0019] (4) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each pressing portion has an elastic plate that moves away from the side wall as it approaches the bottom of the recess.

[0020] In this embodiment, since the elastic plate of each pressing portion has a shape that moves away from the side wall as it approaches the bottom of the recess, when the component unit (electronic component) is accommodated in the recess, it is not obstructed by the pressing portion.

[0021] (5) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the component unit is screwed to the contact point, provided near the outer surface of the side wall of the recess, and includes an anti-rotation rod that prevents the rotation of the component unit during screwing.

[0022] In this embodiment, during the operation of screwing the component unit to the contact point, the anti-rotation rod prevents the component units from rotating together. Therefore, the workability of attaching the component unit can be improved.

[0023] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Invention] The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention 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.

[0024] In the following, as an example of an electronic component, the present embodiment will be described by taking an electrical connection box for a vehicle to which a fuse is attached as an example.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of an electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment. The electrical connection box 100 includes a housing 50 to which an electronic component is attached. The housing 50 is made of, for example, resin, and includes a lower case 52 and an upper case 51 that covers the lower case 52. The housing 50 is attached to the object such that the bottom plate 521 of the lower case 52 faces the object. More specifically, the upper case 51 is provided with bottomed cylindrical legs 511 at four corners, and through holes 512 are formed at the bottoms of the respective legs 511. For example, the housing 50 (electrical connection box 100) can be attached to the object by inserting a screw through the through hole 512 of the leg 511 and screwing it into the object.

[0026] The upper case 51 has a shape of a flat housing with one side open. Inside the upper case 51, ribs are formed at a plurality of locations, and a plurality of pedestals are formed. Bus bars, electronic components, etc. are attached to the pedestals.

[0027] FIG. 2 is an exemplary view illustrating a state in which an electronic component is attached to the upper case 51 of the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial bottom view of the upper case 51 and shows a state in which a fuse unit 10 (component unit) is attached.

[0028] A recess 20 for accommodating a part of the fuse unit 10 is formed on the inner surface (hereinafter referred to as the bottom) of the ceiling plate 513 of the upper case 51, and pedestals 30 and 40 for fixing the fuse unit 10 are provided so as to be adjacent to the recess 20. The fuse unit 10 prevents an overcurrent from flowing.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the fuse unit 10. The fuse unit 10 has a cylindrical fuse 12 (electronic component). The fuse 12 is made of, for example, glass or ceramic, and a fuse element (not shown) is disposed inside. Caps 121 are respectively attached to both ends of the fuse 12. The caps 121 are made of conductive metal and have a bottomed cylindrical shape.

[0030] Also, the fuse unit 10 has a pair of fixing legs 11 that are screwed to pedestals 30, 40. The pair of fixing legs 11 are parallel to each other. Each fixing leg 11 is made of a metal piece having a substantially rounded rectangular shape. For example, the fixing leg 11 is manufactured from the same material as the cap 121. A through hole 112 that penetrates the fixing leg 11 in the thickness direction is formed at one end of each fixing leg 11.

[0031] Each fixing leg 11 is connected to the cap 121 via a connecting plate 111. The connecting plate 111 is made of a metal piece of the same material as the fixing leg 11. One end of the connecting plate 111 is continuously provided near the other end of the long side of the fixing leg 11 and extends in the thickness direction of the fixing leg 11. Also, the other end of the connecting plate 111 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the cap 121. In other words, the connecting plate 111 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the cap 121 in the radial direction of the cap 121. The connecting plates 111 face each other in the axial direction of the fuse 12.

[0032] For example, the fixing leg 11 and the connecting plate 111 may be integrally formed, or the fixing leg 11, the connecting plate 111, and the cap 121 may be integrally formed. Hereinafter, for convenience, the portion including the connecting plate 111, the cap 121, and the fuse 12 is referred to as the fuse 12 portion.

[0033] By inserting a screw 60 through the through hole 112 of each fixing leg 11 and respectively screwing it with the nuts 80 of the pedestals 30, 40, the fuse unit 10 can be screwed to the pedestals 30, 40 (upper case 51) (see FIG. 2).

[0034] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the upper case 51 showing the state where the fuse unit 10 and the screw 60 are removed, and FIG. 5 is a partial bottom view of the upper case 51 showing the state where the fuse unit 10, the screw 60 and the nut 80 are removed. As described above, a recess 20 is formed at the bottom of the upper case 51, and the fuse 12 portion of the fuse unit 10 is accommodated therein.

[0035] The recess 20 is substantially rectangular in plan view. The recess 20 is composed of long side walls 21, 22 on both long side edges and short side walls 23, 24 on both short side edges, and the long side walls 21, 22 and the short side walls 23, 24 stand upright on the bottom of the upper case 51. When the fuse unit 10 is attached to the upper case 51, the fuse 12 portion of the fuse unit 10 is accommodated in the recess 20. Of the long side walls 21, 22, the long side wall 22 is arranged closer to the pedestals 30, 40, and the long side walls 21, 22 are each formed with notches 211, 221 at the central portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] A positioning portion 25 is provided on the side wall of the recess 20. The positioning portion 25 positions the fuse unit 10 when the fuse unit 10 is attached to the upper case 51.

[0037] The positioning portion 25 is curved and is provided at a corner 27 formed by the long side wall 21 and the short side wall 24. Specifically, the positioning portion 25 is provided from the short side wall 24 across the end portion of the long side wall 21 on the short side wall 24 side. Further, the positioning portion 25 protrudes more than the ends of the long side wall 21 and the short side wall 24 along the height direction of the long side wall 21 and the short side wall 24. The positioning portion 25 may be integrally formed with the long side wall 21 and the short side wall 24.

[0038] The recess 20 has a first spring portion 28 (first pressing portion) and a second spring portion 29 (second pressing portion) that press a part of the fuse unit 10 accommodated in the recess 20 toward the positioning portion 25 side. Hereinafter, the first spring portion 28 and the second spring portion 29 are also simply referred to as spring portions 28, 29 (pressing portions). The spring parts 28 and 29 are provided inside the recess 20. The first spring part 28 presses the fuse 12 part of the fuse unit 10 against the short side wall 24 side, and the second spring part 29 presses the fuse 12 part of the fuse unit 10 against the long side wall 21 side.

[0039] The first spring part 28 is made of resin and is provided on the short side wall 23 facing the short side wall 24 provided with the positioning part 25. A notch 231 is formed in the central part of the short side wall 23 along the height direction of the short side wall 23, and the first spring part 28 is provided in the notch 231.

[0040] The first spring part 28 has a rectangular plate-shaped support part 282 and an elastic plate 281 provided on one of the two main surfaces of the support part 282 facing the recess 20.

[0041] The support part 282 is provided outside the short side wall 23 so as to close the notch 231 and extends along the short side wall 23. The height of the support part 282 is lower than the height of the short side wall 23. The elastic plate 281 protrudes from the one surface of the support part 282 into the recess 20 through the notch 231. The elastic plate 281 is rectangular, and one main surface is substantially opposed to the one surface of the support part 282. The elastic plate 281 intersects obliquely with the one surface of the support part 282. Specifically, the elastic plate 281 is provided so as to move away from the short side wall 23 (support part 282) as it approaches the bottom of the recess 20. That is, as it approaches the bottom of the recess 20, the distance between the one surface of the support part 282 and the elastic plate 281 becomes wider. The elastic plate 281 has elasticity and can be elastically deformed in the stretching and contracting direction of the distance.

[0042] The second spring part 29 is made of resin and is provided on the long side wall 22 facing the long side wall 21 provided with the positioning part 25. As shown in FIG. 5, the second spring part 29 is provided at the end of the long side wall 22 near the positioning part 25 (short side wall 24). That is, the second spring part 29 is provided so as to be substantially opposed to the part of the positioning part 25 provided on the long side wall 21.

[0043] The second spring portion 29 has a block-shaped base portion protruding from the inner surface of the long-side wall 22, and an elastic plate 291 connected to the base portion and protruding into the recess 20. The shape of the elastic plate 291 is the same as that of the elastic plate 281, and a detailed description thereof is omitted. The elastic plate 291 has elasticity and can be elastically deformed in the direction of expansion and contraction of the distance from the long-side wall 22. The spring portions 28 and 29 and the recess 20 may be integrally formed with the upper case 51.

[0044] A rotation prevention bar 70 protrudes from the outside of the long-side wall 21 of the recess 20. When the fuse unit 10 is attached to the upper case 51 (pedestals 30 and 40) by screwing, the rotation prevention bar 70 prevents the fuse unit 10 from rotating.

[0045] The rotation prevention bar 70 has a round bar shape and its diameter is reduced at the tip. The rotation prevention bar 70 is provided near the end of the long-side wall 21 near the short-side wall 23. The peripheral surface of the rotation prevention bar 70 is in contact with the outer surface of the long-side wall 21. The height of the rotation prevention bar 70 is higher than the height of the long-side wall 21. When the fuse unit 10 is attached, the rotation prevention bar 70 contacts the fixing leg 11 to prevent the rotation of the fuse unit 10 (see FIG. 2). Note that the rotation prevention bar 70 may be integrally formed with the long-side wall 21.

[0046] Hereinafter, in the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment, the operation of attaching the fuse unit 10 to the upper case 51 will be described.

[0047] First, the operator pinches the fuse 12 of the fuse unit 10 and places the fuse 12 portion of the fuse unit 10 into the recess 20. As described above, in the electrical connection box 100, since the notches 211 and 221 are respectively formed in the central portions of the long-side walls 21 and 22, the operation of placing the fuse 12 portion into the recess 20 is not obstructed by the long-side walls 21 and 22. At this time, the spring portions 28 and 29 are pushed by the fuse 12 portion and are deformed in the direction of narrowing the distances from the short-side wall 23 and the long-side wall 22, respectively.

[0048] When the work of housing the fuse 12 portion in the recess 20 is completed and the operator releases his or her hand, the restoring force of the spring portions 28 and 29 acts on the fuse 12 portion. That is, the first spring portion 28 presses the fuse 12 portion in a direction to increase the distance from the short side wall 23, that is, toward the positioning portion 25 of the short side wall 24. Also, the second spring portion 29 presses the fuse 12 portion in a direction to increase the distance from the long side wall 22, that is, toward the positioning portion 25 of the long side wall 21. Thereby, the fuse unit 10 is positioned.

[0049] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which positioning is performed when the fuse unit 10 is attached. As described above, the fuse unit 10 is pressed toward the positioning portion 25 by the spring portions 28 and 29, and the long side edge and the short side edge on the other end side of one fixing leg 11 come into contact with the positioning portion 25 of the short side wall 24 and the positioning portion 25 of the long side wall 21, respectively (see the dotted line portions in FIG. 6). Thereby, the fuse unit 10 is easily positioned. Note that even after the positioning is performed in this manner, the spring portions 28 and 29 continue to press the fuse unit 10 toward the positioning portion 25.

[0050] Thereafter, the operator inserts the screw 60 through each through hole 112 of the fuse unit 10 and screws it into the nuts 80 of the pedestals 30 and 40, respectively, thereby screwing the fuse unit 10 to the pedestals 30 and 40.

[0051] As described above, in the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment, the operator only needs to house the fuse unit 10 in the recess 20, and the fuse unit 10 is positioned by the spring portions 28 and 29. Therefore, the workability of the work of attaching the fuse unit 10 can be improved.

[0052] On the other hand, due to design errors or tolerances, the dimensions of the recess 20 may become larger than the expected value, or the dimensions of the fuse unit 10 may become smaller than the expected value. In this case, since the dimensions of the recess 20 are larger than the dimensions of the fuse 12 portion of the fuse unit 10, it can be assumed that there is a gap between the recess 20 and the fuse 12 portion. In such a case, there is a problem of noise generation due to rattling. On the contrary, in the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment, as described above, even after the positioning is performed, the spring portions 28 and 29 continue to press the fuse unit 10 toward the positioning portion 25. Therefore, even when there is a gap between the recess 20 and the fuse 12 portion, it is possible to prevent the generation of noise due to rattling.

[0053] Also, in the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the positioning portion 25 is provided across the short side wall 24 and the long side wall 21. That is, since the positioning of the fuse unit 10 is performed at two locations, the positioning accuracy can be improved.

[0054] Also, in the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the spring portions 28 and 29 are provided at positions facing the positioning portion 25, respectively. Therefore, the fuse unit 10 can be more reliably pressed against the positioning portion 25, and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

[0055] Furthermore, in the electrical connection box 100 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the elastic plate 281 of the spring portion 28 and the elastic plate 291 of the spring portion 29 have a shape that moves away from the corresponding side wall as they approach the bottom of the recess 20. Therefore, when the operator accommodates the fuse unit 10 in the recess 20, the spring portions 28 and 29 do not interfere.

[0056] In the above description, the case where the positioning portion 25 is provided at the corner 27 of the recess 20 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to the corner 27, and other corners may be used. The first spring portion 28 or the second spring portion 29 may be provided on each of the two side walls that form the diagonal with respect to the corner where the positioning portion 25 is provided.

[0057] In addition, in the above description, the case where the rotation prevention bar 70 is provided outside the long side wall 21 of the recess 20 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. The rotation prevention bar 70 may be provided outside the short side walls 23 and 24.

[0058] Note that the spring portions 28 and 29 are not limited to the above description, and may be composed of, for example, a spring, rubber, or the like.

[0059] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0060] 10 Fuse unit (component unit) 11 Fixed leg (connecting member) 12 Fuse (electronic component) 20 Recess 21 Long side wall 22 Long side wall 23 Short side wall 24 Short side wall 25 Positioning portion 27 Corner 28 First spring portion (first pressing portion) 29 Second spring portion (second pressing portion) 30 Pedestal (contact) 40 Pedestal (contact) 50 Housing 51 Upper case 52 Lower case 60 Screw 70 Anti-rotation bar 80 Nut 100 Electrical connection box 111 Connecting plate 121 Cap (terminal) 211 Notch 221 Notch 231 Notch 281 Elastic plate 291 Elastic plate 511 Leg 512 Through hole

Claims

1. An electrical connection box comprising a component unit having an electronic component housed in a recess and a connecting member for connecting terminals of the electronic component to contacts outside the recess, a positioning portion provided on a side wall of the recess, protruding beyond an end of the side wall, and abutting against the connecting member to determine a position of the component unit, and an electrical connection box comprising a pressing portion provided in the recess for pressing the component unit against the positioning portion.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is provided across two side walls forming a corner.

3. There are a plurality of the pressing portions, The electrical connection box according to claim 2, comprising a first pressing portion provided on a side wall facing one of the two side walls and a second pressing portion provided on a side wall facing the other.

4. Each pressing portion has an elastic plate that moves away from the side wall as it approaches the bottom of the recess, according to the electrical connection box of claim 3.

5. The component unit is screwed to the contact, The electrical connection box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising an anti-rotation bar provided near an outer surface of a side wall of the recess for preventing rotation of the component unit during screwing.

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