Branch box, wiring harness routing structure

Abstract

To provide a branch box for automobiles, etc., which can more easily distribute power.SOLUTION: A connection conductor 1 used in a branch box for a wire harness for an automobile is connected to a main wire harness 3. The connection conductor 1 is made of metal and has a crimp terminal portion 9 and a first tuning fork terminal portion 11. The crimp terminal portion 9 can be crimp-bonded to the main wire harness 3. The first tuning fork terminal portion 11 is arranged at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion 9. The first tuning fork terminal portion 11 is a portion to which a fuse is connected, and has a clip shape into which the fuse can be inserted and connected. In the connection conductor 1, the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 are constructed as separate bodies and are joined by welding.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a branch box or the like in an automobile, which branches off a main cable connected to a power source to various electrical devices or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Automobiles are equipped with multiple electrical devices of various types. The vehicle's power supply is connected to a power supply box with a power distribution function, such as a relay box or junction box, and power is supplied to each electrical device by connecting it to the power supply box. Typically, these power supply boxes are installed in multiple locations in the vehicle, and multiple electrical devices are used together.

[0003] 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a conventional wire harness routing structure 100. A plurality of electrical devices 105 are arranged in various parts of a vehicle 101. The electrical devices 105 are connected to a power supply box 103 via a wire harness 107 and are operated by power distributed from the power supply box 103.

[0004] There may be multiple power supply boxes 103, rather than just one, but there are restrictions on the placement of the power supply boxes, so they cannot necessarily be placed near the electrical equipment 105, which creates the problem of the wire harness 107 becoming longer.

[0005] In response to this, a method has been proposed in which a plurality of power distributors are installed in the power supply system from the power supply box 103, and each electrical device is connected to the power distributor (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-137394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the method of connecting power distributors with a power trunk line as in Patent Document 1, a trunk circuit is required to connect each power distributor (power distribution branch box) with another, which increases the number of parts.

[0008] Furthermore, when adding equipment due to minor changes to a vehicle, it may be necessary to divide the existing main circuit and install a new power distribution branch box and wire harness. However, due to layout constraints, the power distribution branch box may not be able to be laid out in the shortest position between units, etc., which may result in the electric wires required for connection becoming long.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide a branch box or the like for an automobile that can more easily distribute power. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first invention is a branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, comprising a connection conductor to be connected to a main side wire harness and a connector member connectable to a branch side connector, the connection conductor comprising a crimp terminal portion capable of being crimped to the main side wire harness, and a first tuning fork terminal portion disposed at a position spaced from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected; the first tuning fork terminal portion is disposed so as to be spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from a position in the longitudinal direction of the main-side wire harness where the crimp terminal portion is disposed, in a plan view; The connector member is a branch box characterized by including a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected, and a connector portion to be connected to a connector of a branch-side wire harness.

[0011] A second invention is a branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, comprising a connection conductor connected to a main side wire harness and a connector member connectable to a branch side connector, the connection conductor comprising a crimp terminal portion capable of being crimped to the main side wire harness and a first tuning fork terminal portion disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and connected to a fuse, the connector member comprising a second tuning fork terminal portion connected to the fuse and a connector portion connected to a connector of the branch side wire harness, The connecting conductor is configured such that the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion are separate and joined together. The crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion have different thicknesses, and the crimp terminal portion is relatively thick. .

[0013] A third invention is a branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, comprising a connection conductor to be connected to a main side wire harness and a connector member connectable to a branch side connector, the connection conductor comprising a crimp terminal portion capable of being crimped to the main side wire harness and a first tuning fork terminal portion disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected, the connector member comprising a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected and a connector portion connected to a connector of the branch side wire harness, the connection conductor comprising the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion formed separately and joined together, The crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion are made of different materials. The crimp terminal portion is made of a material having a relatively high strength. .

[0014] A fourth invention is a branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, comprising a connection conductor to be connected to a main side wire harness and a connector member connectable to a branch side connector, the connection conductor comprising a crimp terminal portion to be crimped to the main side wire harness and a first tuning fork terminal portion disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected, the connector member comprising a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected and a connector portion to be connected to a connector of the branch side wire harness,The direction in which the fuse is connected to the first tuning fork terminal and the second tuning fork terminal is parallel to the main side wire harness. and a connecting direction of the connector to the connector portion of the connector member is parallel to the main side wire harness. .

[0015] No. 1 -4 According to the invention, the connection conductor for branching is connected midway through the main-side wire harness without cutting the main-side wire harness, so there are fewer restrictions on the installation of the branch box and it is easy to add one later. Also, since a tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse can be connected is formed between the main-side wire harness and the branch-side connector, a fuse can be attached to each branch wiring to protect the circuit from overcurrent.

[0016] Furthermore, if the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion are constructed separately and joined by welding or the like, for example, the same member constituting the first tuning fork terminal portion can be used to apply to main side wire harnesses of different sizes.

[0017] In this case, materials of different thicknesses can be used for the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion. For example, the crimp terminal portion can be made thicker to ensure the strength required for crimping, and the first tuning fork terminal portion can be made thinner to reduce the insertion resistance of the fuse and ensure an appropriate spring force.

[0018] Similarly, different materials can be used for the terminal receiving portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion; for example, the crimp terminal portion can be made of a material with the relatively high strength or elongation required for crimping, and the first tuning fork terminal portion can be made of a material with a relatively high spring force.

[0019] Furthermore, by connecting the fuses to the first and second tuning fork terminals in a direction parallel to the main wiring harness, the branch box can be made compact.

[0020] No. 5 The invention of the first -4 invention of EitherA wiring harness routing structure for a vehicle using the branch box, In the middle of Part of the outer covering has been removed, exposing the conductor but the crimp terminal portion in Crimped, the outer jackets on both sides of the part of the outer jacket are crimped by a jacket crimping portion, This is a wire harness routing structure characterized in that a fuse is connected to the first tuning fork terminal portion and the second tuning fork terminal portion, and a branch side wire harness that is connected to an electrical device is connected to the connector portion.

[0021] A plurality of the branch boxes may be connected to one of the main side wire harnesses to branch off the main side wire harness.

[0022] No. 5 According to the invention, inside the branch box, a part of the outer sheath of each main-side wire harness is removed to expose the internal conductor, and the connecting conductor and the conductor of the main-side wire harness are directly joined, so there is no need to separate the main-side wire harness into multiple pieces, and the increase in the number of parts can be minimized.In addition, there is no need to cut the main-side wire harness for an existing main-side wire harness, and there is a high degree of freedom in layout.

[0023] Furthermore, by connecting a plurality of branch boxes to the main wire harness, the wire harness can be branched from the branch box at an efficient position for each electrical device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a branch box for an automobile that can more easily distribute power. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connecting conductor 1. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the branch box. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a wire harness routing structure 29. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing a wire harness routing structure 100. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a connecting conductor 1 used in a branch box for a wire harness for an automobile. The connecting conductor 1 is connected to a main side wire harness 3.

[0027] The connecting conductor 1 is made of metal and has a crimp terminal portion 9 and a first tuning fork terminal portion 11. The crimp terminal portion 9 can be crimped to the main-side wiring harness 3. The main-side wiring harness 3 is a thick round electric wire with a substantially circular cross section, and has an inner conductor 7 and an outer jacket 5 that covers the conductor 7 from the outside.

[0028] At a portion of the main side wiring harness 3 where the connecting conductor 1 is connected, a predetermined length of the outer jacket 5 is removed to expose the internal conductor 7. The crimp terminal portion 9 consists of an open barrel type conductor crimping portion that crimps the conductor 7, and open barrel type jacket crimping portions that are arranged on both sides of the conductor crimping portion to crimp the outer jacket 5 on both sides.

[0029] The first tuning fork terminal 11 is disposed at a position separated from the crimp terminal 9. The first tuning fork terminal 11 is the portion to which the fuse is connected, and has a clip shape into which the fuse can be inserted and connected. In the illustrated example, the first tuning fork terminal 11 has two terminals, but the number of terminals on the first tuning fork terminal 11 is not particularly limited.

[0030] The connecting conductor 1 is made up of the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11, and may be formed integrally from the same material by pressing or the like, or may be formed as separate bodies and joined by welding, brazing, soldering, etc. For example, in the example shown below, the portion up to the joint between the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 are each formed by pressing or the like from separate plate-shaped materials, and then the two are welded together to form an integrated body.

[0031] In this way, the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 can be configured to have different thicknesses. For example, the crimp terminal portion 9 is the portion that is crimped to the main-side wire harness 3 and is significantly deformed during crimping, and it is necessary to ensure the strength of the connection with the main-side wire harness 3 after crimping. Therefore, by making the plate thickness relatively thick, it is possible to ensure crimping workability and crimping strength. For example, the thickness of the crimp terminal portion 9 can be about 1.2 mm, depending on the size of the main-side wire harness 3.

[0032] On the other hand, if the first tuning fork terminal 11 is too thick, it becomes difficult to form a fine shape for the fuse insertion portion. Furthermore, if the terminal portion of the fuse is too rigid when inserting it into the fuse insertion port, the fuse insertion becomes difficult. Therefore, by making the first tuning fork terminal 11 relatively thin, workability and fuse insertion can be improved. For example, the first tuning fork terminal 11 can be approximately 0.64 mm thick.

[0033] Furthermore, the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 may be made of different materials. As described above, the crimp terminal portion 9 is crimped to the main-side wire harness 3 after crimping, and it is necessary to ensure the connection strength after crimping. Therefore, if a material with little elongation or low strength is selected, there is a risk that the crimp terminal portion 9 may crack during crimping, or that the connection strength after crimping may not be sufficiently ensured. For this reason, it is desirable to select a material with relatively high strength or large elongation; for example, a copper alloy with appropriate strength is applicable.

[0034] On the other hand, as mentioned above, if the strength (elastic modulus) of the first tuning fork terminal 11 is too high, the insertion of the fuse will be impaired. Furthermore, if the first tuning fork terminal 11 is easily plastically deformable, there is a risk that the tuning fork terminal will open during use. Therefore, it is desirable to select a material that has a relatively high springiness but not too high an elastic modulus, such as brass.

[0035] 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of branch box 27, and is a see-through view of housing 25. Main side wire harness 3 passes through housing 25 without being cut, and connecting conductor 1, connector member 13, etc. are housed inside.

[0036] As described above, the crimp terminal portion 9 is crimped to the main-side wire harness 3. At this time, the conductor 7 of the main-side wire harness 3 and the outer sheath 5 on both sides of the conductor 7 are crimped. That is, a portion of the outer sheath 5 of the main-side wire harness 3 connected to the power supply box is removed, and the crimp terminal portion 9 is crimped to the exposed conductor 7.

[0037] A connector member 13 that can be connected to a branched connector is disposed at a position facing the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 of the connecting conductor 1 and spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion 9. The connector member 13 has a second tuning fork terminal portion 15 and a connector portion 17. In the illustrated example, two connector members 13 are disposed corresponding to the two terminal portions of the first tuning fork terminal portion 11.

[0038] A second tuning fork terminal 15 is provided at one end of the connector member 13, to which a fuse 19 is connected. The second tuning fork terminal 15 has the same shape as the first tuning fork terminal 11, and is located at a position corresponding to the first tuning fork terminal 11, but spaced a predetermined distance apart.

[0039] Housing 25 has an insertion port for fuse 19 formed in a location corresponding to first tuning fork terminal 11 and second tuning fork terminal 15. When fuse 19 is inserted into the fuse insertion port of housing 25, fuse 19 connects across first tuning fork terminal 11 and second tuning fork terminal 15. Note that fuse 19 does not have to be a plug-in type like a blade fuse.

[0040] A connector portion 17 is provided at the other end (opposite side to the second tuning fork terminal portion 15) of the connector member 13. The connector portion 17 is connected to a connector of the branched wire harness.

[0041] 3 is a plan view showing a branch structure using a branch box 27. A connector insertion opening is formed in the housing 25 at a position corresponding to the connector portion 17, into which the connector 23 of the branch-side wire harness 21 to be connected to an electrical device is inserted. The connector portion 17 is exposed on the inner surface of the connector insertion portion. Therefore, by inserting the connector 23 of the branch-side wire harness 21 into the housing 25, the branch-side wire harness 21 can be connected to the connector portion 17.

[0042] Here, the direction in which the fuse 19 is connected to the first tuning fork terminal 11 and the second tuning fork terminal 15 (to the right in FIG. 3) is substantially parallel to the main-side wire harness 3. This facilitates the insertion and removal of the fuse 19, and also allows the height of the branch box 27 (housing 25) to be reduced.

[0043] Similarly, the direction in which the connector 23 is connected to the connector member 13 (leftward in FIG. 3) is substantially parallel to the main-side wire harness 3. This facilitates the insertion and removal of the connector 23, and also allows the branch-side wire harness 21 to be arranged along the main-side wire harness 3.

[0044] Next, a description will be given of a wiring harness routing structure for a vehicle using a branch box 27. Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a wiring harness routing structure 29. A power supply box 33 is disposed in a vehicle 31, and a main side wiring harness 3 is laid from the power supply box 33.

[0045] Furthermore, a plurality of electrical devices 35 are disposed in various parts of the vehicle 31. A branching wire harness 21 is connected to each of the electrical devices 35. A connector (not shown) of the branching wire harness 21 is connected to a branching box 27 connected to the middle or end of the main wire harness 3.

[0046] As shown in the figure, a plurality of branch boxes 27 are arranged for one main-side wire harness 3. A branch-side wire harness 21 is connected to each branch box 27 and branches off from the main-side wire harness. In this case, the branch box 27 can be arranged at any position on the main-side wire harness 3. For example, a branch box 27 can also be added to an existing main-side wire harness 3. Therefore, each electrical device 35 can be connected to a portion of the main-side wire harness 3 that is easy to handle.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, the branch box 27 can be branched without cutting the main wire harness 3, which allows for greater flexibility in installation and simplifies installation. Furthermore, the branch box 27 can be added to an existing main wire harness 3, which allows for greater flexibility in layout. Therefore, there is no need to make the branch wire harness 21 excessively long.

[0048] Furthermore, the crimp terminal portion 9 can be crimped to the conductor 7 and the outer sheath 5 of the main-side wire harness 3, ensuring sufficient connection strength. Furthermore, crimping can be achieved by simply removing part of the outer sheath 5 of the main-side wire harness 3, making the work easy.

[0049] Furthermore, since the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 are integrally formed, assembly workability is also excellent. In this case, since the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 are positioned apart, the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 does not get in the way, for example, when crimping the crimp terminal portion 9.

[0050] Furthermore, by forming the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 from different materials and integrating them by welding, it is possible to accommodate a wide variety of variations with fewer parts. For example, even if there are two different shapes of first tuning fork terminal portion 11 depending on the type of fuse and three different diameters of main-side wire harness 3, by combining two types of first tuning fork terminal portion 11 with three types of crimp terminal portion 9, it is possible to reduce the number of types of molds used.

[0051] Furthermore, since the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 can be made of different thicknesses, it is possible to combine thicknesses suitable for each portion. Similarly, since the crimp terminal portion 9 and the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 can be made of different materials, it is possible to combine materials suitable for each portion.

[0052] Furthermore, by making the insertion direction of the fuse 19 into the first tuning fork terminal portion 11 and the second tuning fork terminal portion 15 and the insertion direction of the connector 23 into the connector portion 17 approximately parallel to the main side wire harness 3, the overall height of the branch box 27 can be reduced and a compact branch structure can be obtained.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1...Connecting conductor 3...Main wire harness 5……Outer cover 7...conductor 9... Crimp terminal part 11...First tuning fork terminal 13...Connector member 15...Second tuning fork terminal 17...Connector part 19...Fuse 21...Branch side wire harness 23...Connector 25...Housing 27...Branch box 29...Wire harness routing structure 31...Vehicle 33...Power box 35...Electrical equipment 100...Wire harness routing structure 101...Vehicle 103...Power box 105...Electrical equipment 107...Wire harness

Claims

1. A branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, a connecting conductor connected to the main side wire harness; a connector member connectable to a branching connector; Equipped with the connecting conductor includes a crimp terminal portion that can be crimped to a main-side wire harness, and a first tuning fork terminal portion that is disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected, the first tuning fork terminal portion is disposed, in a plan view, so as to be spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from a position in the longitudinal direction of the main-side wire harness where the crimp terminal portion is disposed, The branch box is characterized in that the connector member includes a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected, and a connector portion to be connected to a connector of a branch-side wire harness.

2. A branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, a connecting conductor connected to the main side wire harness; a connector member connectable to a branching connector; Equipped with the connecting conductor includes a crimp terminal portion that can be crimped to a main-side wire harness, and a first tuning fork terminal portion that is disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected, the connector member includes a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected and a connector portion to which a connector of a branched wire harness is connected, the connecting conductor is configured such that the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion are separate and joined together; The branching box is characterized in that the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion have different thicknesses, and the crimp terminal portion is relatively thick.

3. A branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, a connecting conductor connected to the main side wire harness; a connector member connectable to a branching connector; Equipped with the connecting conductor includes a crimp terminal portion that can be crimped to a main-side wire harness, and a first tuning fork terminal portion that is disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected, the connector member includes a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected and a connector portion to which a connector of a branched wire harness is connected, the connecting conductor is configured such that the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion are separate and joined together; The branching box is characterized in that the crimp terminal portion and the first tuning fork terminal portion are made of different materials, and the crimp terminal portion is made of a material with relatively high strength.

4. A branch box for a wire harness for an automobile, a connecting conductor connected to the main side wire harness; a connector member connectable to a branching connector; Equipped with the connecting conductor includes a crimp terminal portion that can be crimped to a main-side wire harness, and a first tuning fork terminal portion that is disposed at a position spaced apart from the crimp terminal portion and to which a fuse is connected, the connector member includes a second tuning fork terminal portion to which a fuse is connected and a connector portion to which a connector of a branched wire harness is connected, a direction in which the fuse is connected to the first tuning fork terminal portion and the second tuning fork terminal portion is parallel to a main-side wire harness; The branch box is characterized in that the direction in which the connector is connected to the connector portion of the connector member is parallel to the main side wire harness.

5. A wiring harness routing structure for a vehicle using the branch box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A part of the outer sheath is removed midway through the main side wire harness connected to the power supply box, the exposed conductor is crimped with the crimp terminal portion, and the outer sheaths on both sides of the part of the outer sheath are crimped with the sheath crimping portion, a fuse is connected to the first tuning fork terminal and the second tuning fork terminal; A wiring harness routing structure, wherein a branched wiring harness to be connected to an electric device is connected to the connector portion.

6. 6. The wire harness routing structure according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the branch boxes are connected to and branched from one main wire harness.

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