Relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure

Abstract

To provide an incorrect insertion detection structure of a relay terminal which can easily discriminate incorrect assembly when a relay terminal is erroneously assembled.SOLUTION: An incorrect insertion detection structure of a relay terminal includes: a bus bar 20 which is inserted into a first insertion space 12 of a relay terminal 10 having a first insertion space 12 and a second insertion space 14 for inserting a plate-like terminal 23 and a tab terminal 51 from mutually different directions; and a lower cover 30 having a terminal receiving part 33 for positioning a loading position of the relay terminal 10. The terminal receiving part 33 has an engagement projection 37 for blocking enter of the plate-like terminal 23 of the bus bar 20 by interfering with the relay terminal 10, when the plate-like terminal 23 of the bus bar 20 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, or the plate-like terminal 23 of the bus bar 20 is erroneously inserted into the first insertion space 12 in opposite directions with respect to the front / rear direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for detecting incorrect insertion of a relay terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 17 shows one example of a conventional connection structure between a bus bar and a relay terminal. The relay terminal 10 is used to interconnect a tab terminal (plate-shaped terminal portion) 81 of a relay 80 and a tab terminal (plate-shaped terminal portion) 71 of a bus bar 70 in an electrical connection box. The relay terminal 10 has a resilient contact piece (spring portion) 17 integrally formed inside a rectangular tubular portion (tubular portion) 15 having a pair of opposing walls 11, 13. The resilient contact piece 17 has a short side portion 19 folded back toward the tip end of a long side portion 18.

[0003] Then, the tab terminal 71 of the bus bar 70 is inserted into the first insertion space 12 defined between the short side portion 19 and one of the opposing walls 11, and the tab terminal 81 of the relay 80 is inserted into the second insertion space 14 defined between the long side portion 18 and the other of the opposing walls 13. As a result, the tab terminal 71 of the bus bar 70 and the tab terminal 81 of the relay 80 are connected to each other via the elastic contact piece 17. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-40704 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-described conventional connection structure between a bus bar and a relay terminal, when relay terminal 10 is used in an electrical connection box, bus bar 70 is placed on the circuit board of the electrical connection box in advance, and relay terminal 10 is then attached to tab terminal 71 of bus bar 70. At this time, there is a possibility that tab terminal 71 of bus bar 70 may be erroneously inserted into first insertion space 12 in the reversed orientation, as shown in FIG. 18, or that tab terminal 71 of bus bar 70 may be erroneously inserted into second insertion space 14, as shown in FIG. 19.

[0006] If the relay terminal 10 is assembled incorrectly in this way, it is difficult to distinguish visually and there is a possibility that it may be overlooked. Furthermore, the tab terminal 81 of the relay 80 cannot be inserted correctly into the relay terminal 10 that is incorrectly assembled to the tab terminal 71 of the bus bar 70, and the tab terminal 81 of the relay 80 and the elastic contact piece 17 inside the relay terminal 10 may be pressed hard, causing deformation or damage.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure that can easily detect mis-assembly when a relay terminal is mis-assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure according to the present invention has the following features. a bus bar to be inserted into a first insertion space of a relay terminal having a first insertion space and a second insertion space into which a plate-like terminal portion is inserted from mutually different directions; a housing having a terminal receiving portion for determining a mounting position of the relay terminal, The terminal receiving portion has a locking protrusion that interferes with the relay terminal to prevent the plate terminal portion of the bus bar from entering when the plate terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space or when the plate terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space. Relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to the present invention has the effect of easily detecting the erroneous assembly when the relay terminal is erroneously assembled.

[0010] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of an electrical junction box equipped with a relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part showing a relay terminal to be assembled to a bus bar arranged in a housing of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a relay terminal properly assembled to the bus bar shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a relay terminal in which the bus bar shown in FIG. 3 is erroneously inserted in the first insertion space in the reversed front-to-rear direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal in which the bus bar shown in FIG. 3 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the main part of an electrical junction box provided with a relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing a relay terminal to be assembled to a bus bar arranged in the housing of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal properly assembled to the bus bar shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing a relay terminal in which the bus bar shown in FIG. 11 is erroneously inserted into the first insertion space in the backward direction. [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal in which the bus bar shown in FIG. 11 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing one form of a conventional connection structure between a bus bar and a relay terminal. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the relay terminal in which the bus bar shown in FIG. 17 is erroneously inserted into the first insertion space in the reversed front-to-rear direction. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the relay terminal in which the bus bar shown in FIG. 17 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of an electrical junction box 100 equipped with a relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a relay terminal 10 to be assembled to a bus bar 20 arranged in a lower cover 30 of the electrical junction box 100 shown in FIG.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical junction box 100 according to this embodiment is mounted on, for example, a vehicle and includes a lower cover (housing) 30 and an upper cover 40, which are the junction box main body made of synthetic resin, electrical components 50 such as relays and fuses mounted on the upper cover 40, a plurality of bus bars 20 arranged on a bus bar mounting surface 31 on the bottom wall of the lower cover 30, and a plurality of relay terminals 10.

[0014] Predetermined bus bars 20 are placed on the bus bar mounting surface 31 of the lower cover 30, and the upper cover 40 is attached thereon, and electrical components 50 are attached to the sockets 41 of the upper cover 40.

[0015] The bus bar 20 is punched out of a conductive metal plate into an appropriate shape and bent to form the circuit of the electrical connection box 100, thereby forming a mounting portion 21 that is placed on the bus bar mounting surface 31 and a plate-shaped terminal portion 23 that extends in a direction that intersects with the mounting portion 21 (in this embodiment, in an upward direction perpendicular to the mounting portion 21).

[0016] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal 10 properly assembled to the bus bar 20 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. The relay terminal 10 is the same as that shown in the conventional example (Figure 17) and is used to connect the tab terminal (plate-shaped terminal portion) 51 of the electrical component 50 and the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 to each other in the electrical connection box 100.

[0017] 3 and 4, the relay terminal 10 has a spring portion (elastic contact piece) 17 integrally formed inside a rectangular tubular portion 15 having a pair of opposing walls 11, 13. The spring portion 17 has a short side portion 19 folded back toward the tip end of a long side portion 18.

[0018] The plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 is inserted into the first insertion space 12 defined between the short side portion 19 and one of the opposing walls 11, and the tab terminal 51 of the electrical component 50 is inserted into the second insertion space 14 defined between the long side portion 18 and the other of the opposing walls 13. That is, the relay terminal 10 has the first insertion space 12 and the second insertion space 14 for inserting the plate terminal portion 23 and the tab terminal 51 from different directions. As a result, the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 and the tab terminal 51 of the electrical component 50 are connected to each other via the spring portion 17.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bus bar mounting surface 31 of a lower cover 30 serving as a housing is provided with terminal receiving portions 33 corresponding to the plate-like terminal portions 23 of the bus bars 20 arranged on the bus bar mounting surface 31. The terminal receiving portion 33 is intended to position the mounting position of the relay terminal 10 attached to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 relative to the bus bar mounting surface 31, and has a standing wall portion 35 erected in an upward direction intersecting the bus bar mounting surface 31 of the lower cover 30 (i.e., perpendicular to the bus bar mounting surface 31), and a locking protrusion 37 described later.

[0020] The standing wall portion 35 is a rectangular tubular base that is vertically disposed on the busbar mounting surface 31. As shown in FIG. 2, one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35 faces closely to the corner side plate surface 23a of the plate terminal portion 23 that is bent and formed at the end of the mounting portion 21. A pair of side walls 36 that face each other across the vicinity of the plate terminal portion 23 in the plate width direction extend on the one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35 along the side edges of the mounting portion 21. A pair of side walls 35c of the standing wall portion 35 extend perpendicular to both ends of the one side surface 35b in the width direction, opposite to the pair of side walls 36.

[0021] Each upper end surface 35a of a pair of side walls 36, which have the same height as the upper end surface 35a of the side wall 35c in the vertical wall portion 35, is provided with a rectangular column-shaped locking protrusion 37 that protrudes along the extension direction of the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20. The upper end surface 35a of the side wall 35c of the vertical wall portion 35 abuts against the lower end surface 16 of the relay terminal 10 when the relay terminal 10 is properly inserted into the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20, thereby regulating the assembly height of the relay terminal 10.

[0022] The locking protrusions 37 are protruded from positions where they will interfere with the relay terminals 10 and prevent entry when the plate terminal portions 23 of the busbar 20 are erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 (see FIG. 8) or when the plate terminal portions 23 of the busbar 20 are erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space 12 (see FIG. 6). The locking protrusions 37 are protruded from positions where they will not interfere with the relay terminals 10 when the plate terminal portions 23 of the busbar 20 are properly inserted into the first insertion space 12 (see FIG. 4).

[0023] More specifically, the locking projections 37 are provided so as to protrude from each upper end surface 35a of a pair of side walls 36 of the standing wall portion 35. The distance between the pair of side walls 35c of the standing wall portion 35 is set to be approximately the same dimension as the width of the opposing walls 11, 13 of the tubular portion 15 of the relay terminal 10 (in other words, the distance between the side walls of the tubular portion 15). In other words, the distance between the pair of side walls 36 provided so as to face each other across the vicinity of the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 in the plate width direction is set to be approximately the same distance as the distance between the side walls of the tubular portion 15 of the relay terminal 10.

[0024] The locking protrusion 37 is positioned so that the distance from an imaginary plane including one side surface 35b of the vertical wall portion 35 is greater than the dimension obtained by adding the thickness of one of the opposing walls 11 in the tubular portion 15 to the thickness of the plate-shaped terminal portion 23, and is smaller than the distance between the pair of opposing walls 11, 13.

[0025] 3 and 4, when the plate-like terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 of the relay terminal 10 is properly inserted into the first insertion space 12, the lower end surfaces 16 of both side walls of the tubular portion 15 do not come into contact with the locking projections 37 protruding from the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 36. The lower end surfaces 16 of both side walls of the tubular portion 15 come into contact with the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 35c of the upright wall portion 35, thereby restricting the assembled height of the relay terminal 10.

[0026] In contrast, when the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 relative to the plate-like terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 or erroneously inserted into the first insertion space 12 in the reverse direction, the lower end surfaces 16 of both side walls of the tubular portion 15 come into contact with a pair of locking projections 37 protruding from the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 36, and the lower end surfaces 16 of both side walls of the tubular portion 15 cannot come into contact with the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 35c of the upright wall portion 35.

[0027] Next, an example of a method for assembling the electrical junction box 100 will be described. 1 and 2, predetermined bus bars 20 are respectively placed on the bus bar mounting surface 31 of the lower cover 30. The bus bars 20, with the mounting portions 21 placed on the bus bar mounting surface 31, are arranged in the vicinity of the terminal receiving portions 33 to which the plate-like terminal portions 23 correspond.

[0028] The corner-side plate surface 23a of the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 faces one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35, and both side edges in the plate width direction near the plate terminal portion 23 face a pair of side walls 36 of the standing wall portion 35. Therefore, the terminal receiving portion 33 of the lower cover 30 can position and hold the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 arranged on the busbar mounting surface 31 in the plate width direction.

[0029] 2 and 3, the relay terminal 10 is attached from above to the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20. At this time, when the relay terminal 10 is properly inserted, the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 is inserted into the first insertion space 12 of the relay terminal 10 so that the projected corner side plate surface 23a faces the short side portion 19 of the spring portion 17, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower end surface 16 of the relay terminal 10 attached to the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 abuts against the upper end surface 35a of the standing wall portion 35 of the terminal receiving portion 33, thereby restricting the assembly height.

[0030] 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal 10 in which the bus bar 20 shown in FIG. 3 has been erroneously inserted into the first insertion space 12 in the reversed front-to-back direction, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal 10 in which the bus bar 20 shown in FIG. 3 has been erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.

[0031] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the relay terminal 10 is attached to the plate-like terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 from above, if the plate-like terminal portion 23 is erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space 12 of the relay terminal 10 so that the corner side plate surface 23a faces one of the opposing walls 11 of the tubular portion 15, the lower end surfaces 16 on both side walls of the tubular portion 15 connecting the pair of opposing walls 11, 13 abut against the locking protrusions 37 of the terminal receiving portion 33, preventing the relay terminal 10 from entering.

[0032] Therefore, when a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards into the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20, it interferes with and rides up on the locking protrusion 37 of the terminal receiving portion 33, so that the lower end surface 16 does not reach the upper end surface 35a of the standing wall portion 35 of the terminal receiving portion 33. Therefore, when a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards, it protrudes upward from the mounting position (see FIGS. 3 and 4) when properly inserted, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the relay terminal 10 is attached to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 from above, if the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, the lower end surfaces 16 on both side walls of the tubular portion 15 connecting the pair of opposing walls 11, 13 abut against the locking protrusions 37 of the terminal receiving portion 33, preventing the relay terminal 10 from entering.

[0034] Therefore, when the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 of the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, the relay terminal 10 interferes with and rides up the locking protrusion 37 of the terminal receiving portion 33, so that the lower end surface 16 does not reach the upper end surface 35a of the standing wall portion 35 of the terminal receiving portion 33. Therefore, when the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 of the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, the relay terminal 10 protrudes above the mounting position during normal insertion (see FIGS. 3 and 4), allowing the operator to notice the abnormality.

[0035] Therefore, when the relay terminal 10 is attached from above to the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20, the worker can easily identify that an incorrect relay terminal 10 has been attached. Then, the worker can remove the incorrectly inserted relay terminal 10 and quickly reattach it in the correct orientation.

[0036] After all of the relay terminals 10 have been properly attached to the plate terminal portions 23 of the bus bars 20, the upper cover 40 is attached over the lower cover 30. Then, the relay terminals 10 attached to the plate terminal portions 23 of the bus bars 20 are accommodated in the terminal accommodating portions provided inside the sockets 41 of the upper cover 40.

[0037] Furthermore, when the electrical component 50 is attached to the socket 41, the tab terminal 51 that passes through the slit 43 of the upper cover 40 is inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10 (see FIG. 4). Thus, the tab terminal 51 of the electrical component 50 is electrically connected to the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 via the relay terminal 10.

[0038] As described above, the relay terminal incorrect insertion detection structure according to the first embodiment has the advantage of easily detecting incorrect assembly of the relay terminal 10. As a result, incorrect assembly of the relay terminal 10 can be prevented, and the electrical junction box 100 can be easily assembled. Furthermore, the relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to the first embodiment prevents erroneous assembly of the relay terminal 10, thereby preventing the relay terminal 10 that has been erroneously assembled to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 from being forcibly inserted into the terminal accommodating portion of the upper cover 40, which could cause deformation, damage, etc.

[0039] Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of an electrical junction box 100A equipped with a relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing a relay terminal 10 to be assembled to a bus bar 20A arranged in a lower cover 30A of the electrical junction box 100A shown in Fig. 9. Note that the electrical junction box 100A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the electrical junction box 100 of the first embodiment, except for the use of a lower cover 30A and a bus bar 20A, and therefore similar components are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 9, the electrical connection box 100A according to the second embodiment is provided with a lower cover 30A and a bus bar 20A instead of the lower cover 30 and the bus bar 20 in the electrical connection box 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0041] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the bus bar mounting surface 31 of the lower cover 30 serving as the housing in this second embodiment is provided with a terminal receiving portion 33A corresponding to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A arranged on the bus bar mounting surface 31. The terminal receiving portion 33A is intended to position the mounting position of the relay terminal 10 attached to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A relative to the bus bar mounting surface 31, and has a standing wall portion 35A erected in an upward direction (i.e., perpendicular to the bus bar mounting surface 31) that intersects with the bus bar mounting surface 31 of the lower cover 30A, and a locking protrusion 38 described later.

[0042] The standing wall portion 35A is a rectangular cylindrical base that is vertically disposed on the busbar mounting surface 31. As shown in FIG. 10 , one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35A faces closely to the corner-side plate surface 23a of the plate-like terminal portion 23 that is bent and formed at the end of the mounting portion 21 of the busbar 20A. When the relay terminal 10 is properly inserted into the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A, the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35A abuts against the lower end surface 16 of the relay terminal 10, thereby regulating the assembly height of the relay terminal 10.

[0043] A cylindrical locking protrusion 38 is provided on the bus bar mounting surface 31 near the standing wall portion 35A, protruding in the extension direction of the plate-like terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A. The locking protrusion 38 has a height that makes it protrude upward beyond the standing wall portion 35A. The locking protrusions 38 are provided at positions where they will interfere with the relay terminals 10 and prevent them from entering when the plate terminal portions 23 of the busbar 20A are erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 (see FIG. 16) or when the plate terminal portions 23 of the busbar 20A are erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space 12 (see FIG. 14). The locking protrusions 38 are provided at positions where they will not interfere with the relay terminals 10 when the plate terminal portions 23 of the busbar 20A are properly inserted into the first insertion space 12 (see FIG. 12).

[0044] Specifically, the locking projection 38 provided on the bus bar mounting surface 31 is provided so as to protrude in a range facing one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35A. Here, the width of the one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35A is set to a dimension substantially equal to the width of the opposing walls 11, 13 of the tubular portion 15 of the relay terminal 10. Furthermore, the distance between a pair of side walls 35c provided so as to be perpendicular to both ends in the width direction of the one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35A is set to a dimension substantially equal to the width of the opposing walls 11, 13 of the tubular portion 15 of the relay terminal 10 (in other words, the distance between both side walls of the tubular portion 15).

[0045] The locking projection 38 is positioned so that the distance from one side surface 35b of the standing wall portion 35A is approximately the same as the distance between the pair of opposing walls 11, 13 of the tubular portion 15. 11 and 12, when the plate-like terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 of the relay terminal 10 is properly inserted into the first insertion space 12, the lower end surface 16 of one of the opposing walls 11 of the tubular portion 15 does not come into contact with the locking projection 38 protruding from the busbar mounting surface 31. Then, the lower end surfaces 16 of both side walls of the tubular portion 15 come into contact with the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 35c of the upright wall portion 35A of the relay terminal 10, thereby restricting the assembled height.

[0046] In contrast, when a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the first insertion space 12 with respect to the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20 in the reversed position, the lower end surface 16 of the other opposing wall 13 of the tubular portion 15 abuts against the locking projection 38 protruding from the busbar mounting surface 31, thereby preventing the relay terminal 10 from entering. The lower end surfaces 16 of both side walls of the tubular portion 15 are prevented from abutting against the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 35c of the upright wall portion 35A. Furthermore, when a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 with respect to the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20, the lower end surface 16 of one opposing wall 11 of the tubular portion 15 abuts against the locking projection 38 protruding from the busbar mounting surface 31, thereby preventing the relay terminal 10 from entering. In the relay terminal 10, the lower end surfaces 16 of the side walls of the cylindrical portion 15 cannot abut against the upper end surfaces 35a of the side walls 35c of the standing wall portion 35A.

[0047] Bus bar 20A is punched out of a conductive metal plate into an appropriate shape and bent to form the circuit of electrical junction box 100A, thereby forming mounting portion 21 to be placed on bus bar mounting surface 31 and plate terminal portion 23 extending in a direction intersecting mounting portion 21 (in this embodiment, an upward direction perpendicular to mounting portion 21). Furthermore, positioning hole 25, through which locking protrusion 38 is inserted, is formed in mounting portion 21 near plate terminal portion 23 of bus bar 20A.

[0048] Next, an example of a method for assembling the electrical junction box 100A will be described. 9 and 10, predetermined bus bars 20A are placed on the bus bar mounting surface 31 of the lower cover 30A. The bus bars 20A, whose mounting portions 21 are placed on the bus bar mounting surface 31, are arranged in the vicinity of the terminal receiving portions 33A to which the plate-like terminal portions 23 correspond. At this time, the locking projections 38 protruding from the bus bar mounting surface 31 are inserted into the positioning holes 25 formed in the mounting portion 21. The bus bar 20A is then positioned by the locking projections 38.

[0049] 10 and 11, the relay terminal 10 is attached from above to the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20A. At this time, when the relay terminal 10 is properly inserted, the plate terminal portion 23 is inserted into the first insertion space 12 of the relay terminal 10 so that the projected corner side plate surface 23a faces the short side portion 19 of the spring portion 17, as shown in Fig. 12. The lower end surface 16 of the relay terminal 10 attached to the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20A abuts against the upper end surface 35a of the standing wall portion 35A of the terminal receiving portion 33A, thereby restricting the assembly height.

[0050] 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal 10 in which the bus bar 20A shown in FIG. 11 has been erroneously inserted into the first insertion space 12 in the reversed front-to-back direction, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13, FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relay terminal 10 in which the bus bar 20A shown in FIG. 11 has been erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15.

[0051] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, when the relay terminal 10 is attached to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20A from above, if the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 is erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space 12 of the relay terminal 10 so that the corner side plate surface 23a faces one of the opposing walls 11 of the tubular portion 15, the lower end surface 16 of the other opposing wall 13 abuts against the locking protrusion 38 of the terminal receiving portion 33A, preventing the relay terminal 10 from entering.

[0052] Therefore, when a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards into the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A, it interferes with and rides up on the locking protrusion 38 of the terminal receiving portion 33A, so that the lower end surface 16 does not reach the upper end surface 35a of the standing wall portion 35A of the terminal receiving portion 33A. Therefore, when a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards, it protrudes upward from the mounting position (see FIGS. 11 and 12) when it is properly inserted, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, when the relay terminal 10 is attached to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A from above, if the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, the lower end surface 16 of one of the opposing walls 11 will abut against the locking protrusion 38 of the terminal receiving portion 33A, preventing the relay terminal 10 from entering.

[0054] Therefore, when the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20A is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, the relay terminal 10 interferes with and rides up the locking protrusion 38 of the terminal receiving portion 33A, so that the lower end surface 16 does not reach the upper end surface 35a of the standing wall portion 35A of the terminal receiving portion 33A. Therefore, when the plate terminal portion 23 of the busbar 20A is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, the relay terminal 10 protrudes upward from the mounting position during normal insertion (see FIGS. 11 and 12), allowing the operator to notice the abnormality.

[0055] Therefore, when the relay terminal 10 is attached from above to the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A, the worker can easily identify that the relay terminal 10 is not properly attached. Then, the worker can remove the incorrectly inserted relay terminal 10 and quickly reattach it in the correct orientation.

[0056] After all of the relay terminals 10 have been properly attached to the plate terminal portions 23 of the bus bars 20A, the upper cover 40 is attached over the lower cover 30A. Then, the relay terminals 10 attached to the plate terminal portions 23 of the bus bars 20A are accommodated in the terminal accommodating portions provided inside the sockets 41 of the upper cover 40.

[0057] Furthermore, when the electrical component 50 is attached to the socket 41, the tab terminal 51 that passes through the slit 43 of the upper cover 40 is inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10 (see FIG. 12 ). Thus, the tab terminal 51 of the electrical component 50 is electrically connected to the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A via the relay terminal 10.

[0058] As described above, the relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to the second embodiment has the advantage of easily detecting erroneous assembly of the relay terminal 10. As a result, erroneous assembly of the relay terminal 10 can be prevented, and the electrical junction box 100A can be easily assembled. Furthermore, the relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to the second embodiment prevents erroneous assembly of the relay terminal 10, thereby preventing the relay terminal 10 that has been erroneously assembled to the plate-shaped terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A from being forcibly inserted into the terminal accommodating portion of the upper cover 40, which could result in deformation, damage, etc.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0060] For example, in the above embodiment, the tab terminal 51 of the electrical component 50 is used as an example of the plate-shaped terminal portion to be inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, but this is not limited to this, and the plate-shaped terminal portion may also be the plate-shaped terminal portion of an upper layer bus bar stacked on a bus bar via an insulating substrate.

[0061] In addition, in the above embodiment, the worker can notice the abnormality by visually observing that the incorrectly inserted relay terminal 10 protrudes above the mounting position during normal insertion. However, for example, the difference in height of the relay terminal 10 in the normal insertion state and the incorrect insertion state can also be detected by an optical sensor, a contact sensor, or the like.

[0062] Here, the features of the embodiments of the relay terminal erroneous insertion detection structure according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [4].

[0063] [1] A relay terminal (10) has a first insertion space (12) and a second insertion space (14) for inserting a plate-like terminal portion (23) and a tab terminal (51) from different directions. The relay terminal (10) has a bus bar (20, 20A) inserted into the first insertion space (12); and a housing (lower cover 30, 30A) having a terminal receiving portion (33, 33A) for determining the mounting position of the relay terminal (10), The terminal receiving portion (33, 33A) has a locking protrusion (37, 38) that interferes with the relay terminal (10) and prevents the relay terminal (10) from entering when the plate terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20, 20A) is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space (14) or when the plate terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20, 20A) is erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space (12). Relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure.

[0064] According to the relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure of the above-mentioned [1], when a relay terminal (10) is mis-inserted backwards into the plate-like terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20, 20A), it interferes with the locking protrusions (37, 38) of the terminal receiving portion (33, 33A) and is prevented from entering. Therefore, the relay terminal (10) mis-inserted backwards protrudes upward from its normal installation position, allowing an operator to notice the abnormality. Furthermore, when the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20, 20A is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, the relay terminal 10 interferes with the locking projections 37, 38 of the terminal receiving portion 33, 33A and is prevented from entering. Therefore, when the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20, 20A is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, the relay terminal 10 protrudes above its normal insertion position, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality. Therefore, when the relay terminal (10) is attached to the plate-like terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20, 20A) from above, the worker can easily identify that the relay terminal (10) is not properly assembled.

[0065] [2] The terminal receiving portion (33) provided on the bus bar mounting surface (31) of the housing (lower cover 30) has a standing wall portion (35) erected in a direction intersecting the bus bar mounting surface (31) of the housing (lower cover 30), The bus bar (20) has a mounting portion (21) to be mounted on the bus bar mounting surface (31) and the plate-like terminal portion (23) extending in a direction intersecting the mounting portion (21), When the relay terminal (10) is inserted normally, an upper end surface (35a) of the upright wall portion (35) abuts against the relay terminal (10) to regulate the assembled height of the relay terminal (10); The locking projection (37) is provided to project from an upper end surface (35a) of the upright wall portion (35) along the extending direction of the plate-like terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20). The relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure described in [1] above.

[0066] According to the relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure of the configuration [2] above, when the relay terminal (10) is properly inserted into the plate-shaped terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20), the relay terminal (10) abuts against the upper end surface (35a) of the vertical wall portion (35) of the terminal receiving portion (33), thereby restricting the assembly height. When a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards into the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20, it interferes with a locking projection 37 protruding from the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35, preventing it from entering. Therefore, the relay terminal 10 erroneously inserted backwards rides up on the locking projection 37 of the vertical wall portion 35, preventing its lower end surface from reaching the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35. Therefore, the relay terminal 10 erroneously inserted backwards protrudes upward from its normal installation position, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality. Furthermore, if the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, the relay terminal 10 will interfere with the locking projection 37 protruding from the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35, preventing it from entering. Therefore, if the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, the relay terminal 10 will ride up on the locking projection 37 of the vertical wall portion 35, preventing its lower end surface from reaching the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35. Therefore, if the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards, it will be positioned higher than its normal insertion position, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality.

[0067] [3] The upright wall portion (35) has a pair of side walls (36) facing each other across a vicinity of the plate-shaped terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20) in the mounting portion (21), The locking projections (37) are provided so as to project from the upper end surfaces of the pair of side walls (36) along the extending direction of the plate-like terminal portions (23) of the bus bars (20). The relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure described in [2] above.

[0068] According to the relay terminal misinsertion detection structure of the above configuration (3), both side edges in the plate width direction of the mounting portion 21 near the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 face the pair of side walls 36 of the standing wall portion 35. Therefore, the terminal receiving portion 33 can position and hold the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20 arranged on the bus bar mounting surface 31 in the plate width direction.

[0069] [4] The terminal receiving portion (33A) provided on the bus bar mounting surface (31) of the housing (lower cover 30A) has a standing wall portion (35A) erected in a direction intersecting the bus bar mounting surface (31) of the housing (lower cover 30A), The bus bar (20A) has a mounting portion (21) to be mounted on the bus bar mounting surface (31) and a plate-like terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20A) extending in a direction intersecting the mounting portion (21), When the relay terminal (10) is inserted normally, the upper end surface (35a) of the upright wall portion (35A) abuts against the relay terminal (10) to regulate the assembled height of the relay terminal (10); The locking projection (38) is provided to project from the bus bar mounting surface (31) along the extending direction of the plate-shaped terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20A) and is inserted into the positioning hole (25) of the mounting portion (21). The relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure described in [1] above.

[0070] According to the relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure of the above configuration (4), when the relay terminal (10) is properly inserted into the plate-shaped terminal portion (23) of the bus bar (20A), the relay terminal (10) abuts against the upper end surface (35a) of the vertical wall portion (35A) of the terminal receiving portion (33A), thereby restricting the assembly height. When a relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards into the plate-like terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A, it interferes with the locking projection 38 protruding from the bus bar mounting surface 31 and is prevented from entering. Therefore, the relay terminal 10 erroneously inserted backwards rides up on the locking projection 38 of the vertical wall portion 35A, and its lower end surface does not reach the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35A. Therefore, the relay terminal 10 erroneously inserted backwards protrudes upward from its normal mounting position, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality. Furthermore, if the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14 of the relay terminal 10, the relay terminal 10 will interfere with the locking projection 38 protruding from the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35A and be prevented from entering. Therefore, if the plate terminal portion 23 of the bus bar 20A is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space 14, the relay terminal 10 will ride up on the locking projection 38 of the vertical wall portion 35A, and its lower end surface will not reach the upper end surface 35a of the vertical wall portion 35A. Therefore, if the relay terminal 10 is erroneously inserted backwards, it will be positioned higher than its normal insertion position, allowing the operator to notice the abnormality. Furthermore, the bus bar (20A) placed on the bus bar placement surface (31) is positioned by the locking projections (38). [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10...Relay terminal 12...First insertion space 14...Second insertion space 20...busbar 23...Plate terminal part 30...Lower cover (housing) 33...Terminal receiving part 37...Latching protrusion 51...Tab terminal (plate-shaped terminal part)

Claims

1. a bus bar to be inserted into a first insertion space of a relay terminal having a first insertion space and a second insertion space into which a plate-like terminal portion is inserted from mutually different directions; a housing having a terminal receiving portion for determining a mounting position of the relay terminal, the terminal receiving portion has a locking protrusion that interferes with the relay terminal to prevent the plate-shaped terminal portion of the bus bar from entering the second insertion space when the plate-shaped terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space; Relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure.

2. A bus bar inserted into a first insertion space of a relay terminal having a first insertion space and a second insertion space for inserting a plate-shaped terminal portion from mutually different directions; a housing having a terminal receiving portion for determining a mounting position of the relay terminal, the terminal receiving portion has a locking protrusion that interferes with the relay terminal to prevent the plate terminal portion of the bus bar from entering when the plate terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space or when the plate terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space, the terminal receiving portion provided on the bus bar mounting surface of the housing has an upright wall portion provided in a direction intersecting with the bus bar mounting surface of the housing, the bus bar has a mounting portion to be mounted on the bus bar mounting surface, and the plate-like terminal portion extending in a direction intersecting the mounting portion, When the relay terminal is inserted normally, an upper end surface of the upright wall portion abuts against the relay terminal to regulate the assembled height of the relay terminal, the locking projection is provided to project from an upper end surface of the upright wall portion along an extending direction of the plate-like terminal portion of the bus bar. Relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure.

3. the upright wall portion has a pair of side walls that face each other across a vicinity of the plate-like terminal portion of the bus bar in the placement portion, the locking projections are provided so as to project from the upper end surfaces of the pair of side walls in the extending direction of the plate-like terminal portions of the bus bars, respectively. The relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure according to claim 2.

4. A bus bar inserted into a first insertion space of a relay terminal having a first insertion space and a second insertion space for inserting a plate-shaped terminal portion from mutually different directions; a housing having a terminal receiving portion for determining a mounting position of the relay terminal, the terminal receiving portion has a locking protrusion that interferes with the relay terminal to prevent the plate terminal portion of the bus bar from entering when the plate terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted into the second insertion space or when the plate terminal portion of the bus bar is erroneously inserted backwards into the first insertion space, the terminal receiving portion provided on the bus bar mounting surface of the housing has an upright wall portion provided in a direction intersecting with the bus bar mounting surface of the housing, the bus bar has a mounting portion to be mounted on the bus bar mounting surface, and the plate-like terminal portion extending in a direction intersecting the mounting portion, When the relay terminal is inserted normally, an upper end surface of the upright wall portion abuts against the relay terminal to regulate the assembled height of the relay terminal, the locking projection is provided to protrude from the bus bar mounting surface along an extending direction of the plate-shaped terminal portion of the bus bar, and is inserted into the positioning hole of the mounting portion. Relay terminal mis-insertion detection structure.

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