Connection member and electrical junction box

Abstract

To provide a connection member that is excellent in workability in the work of connecting two blocks accommodated in an electric connection box, and an electric connection box.SOLUTION: A connection member 2 can electrically connect a first block 16 and a second block 17 with each other which are accommodated in an electric connection box 1 and can store an electronic component R, and comprises: a conductive member 4 having a first connection part 41 to be electrically connected to a conduction part of a fuse connection part 161 in the first block 16, and a second connection part 41 to be electrically connected to a conduction part of a fuse connection part 171 in the second block 17; and a housing that accommodates the conductive member 4. The housing can be attached to the fuse connection part 161 in the first block 16, and the fuse connection part 171 in the second block 17.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection member and an electrical junction box. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical junction boxes that house blocks capable of holding electronic components have been proposed. For example, electrical junction boxes are installed in vehicles, and the circuit configuration varies depending on the model and grade of the vehicle. For this reason, the internal space that houses the blocks of the electrical junction box is provided with a base area that is common to all vehicles and an optional area that is used only for some vehicles (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-125516 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional electrical junction box described above, the base region houses a base block that holds electronic components that make up the base circuit, and the option region is configured according to the vehicle model, grade, etc., by having a cavity provided in advance, or by housing an option block that does not hold electronic components that make up the option circuit, or by housing an option block that holds electronic components.

[0005] When an option block that holds electronic components is housed in an electrical junction box, the option block needs to be supplied with power. One method for supplying power to the option block is to connect the base block to the option block and supply power from the base block to the option block. However, because the conventional electrical junction box described above generally houses various electronic components and multiple blocks that hold the various electronic components, the working area for connecting the base block and the option block is narrow, making the work complicated.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and its purpose is to provide a connection member and an electrical connection box that are easy to use for connecting two blocks housed in the electrical connection box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connecting member according to the present invention has the following features.

[0008] A connection member capable of electrically connecting a first block and a second block that are housed in an electrical connection box and can hold electronic components, a conductive member having a first connection portion to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion in the first block and a second connection portion to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion in the second block; a housing that accommodates the conductive member, The housing includes: The fuse connection portion of the first block and the fuse connection portion of the second block are configured to be attachable to each other. R, a terminal portion accommodating case that accommodates the terminal portion of the conductive member through an opening that opens upward, The terminal portion accommodating case is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape and has an internal space. The terminal portion accommodating case includes a partition wall that divides the internal space into a first space and a second space, and a protrusion provided on the partition wall so as to protrude into the second space. a restricting member engaged with the first block and the second block to prevent separation of the connecting member from the first block and the second block, the restricting member being inserted into the second space of the terminal portion accommodating case, and a locking hole of the restricting member being locked with the protrusion; It is a connecting component.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the electrical junction box according to the present invention has the following features.

[0010] An electric connection box including the connection member, the first block, and the second block, The connecting member is electrically connecting the first block that holds the electronic component and the second block that holds the electronic component; It must be an electrical junction box. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The connecting member and the electrical junction box according to the present invention will be described below. A first connection portion of the conductive member of the connection member is electrically connected to a conductive portion of a fuse connection portion of a first block capable of holding electronic components housed in the electrical junction box, and a second connection portion of the conductive member is electrically connected to a conductive portion of a fuse connection portion of a second block capable of holding electronic components housed in the electrical junction box. Housings of the connection portions are attached to the fuse connection portions of the first block and the second block. This allows the connection member to electrically connect the first block and the second block. Generally, in electrical junction boxes, it is easy to attach (mount) a fuse to the fuse junction box of a block. In other words, the electrical junction box of this configuration can electrically connect the first block and the second block simply by attaching the connection member to the fuse connection portion of the block. Thus, the connection member and electrical junction box of this configuration offer excellent operability for connecting two blocks housed in the electrical junction box.

[0012] 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]

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical junction box according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connection structure of a first block and a second block by a connection member according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connection structure shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connection member shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing the manner in which the second block and the connecting member are connected. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing a first modified example of the connection structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view of the connection structure shown in FIG. 7 with the mating connector removed from the connection member. [Figure 9] 9 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connecting member shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a second modified example of the connection structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connecting member shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure shown in FIG. 10, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a connection structure of a first block and a second block by a connection member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connection structure shown in FIG. [Figure 15] 15 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connecting member shown in FIG. 13. FIG. [Figure 16] 16 is a front view showing the connection member shown in FIG. 13 in an open state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a connection member 2 and an electric junction box 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] For ease of explanation, the following definitions are used for "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" as shown in Figures 1 to 16. The "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "upper-lower direction" are perpendicular to one another. When the electrical junction box 1 is mounted on a vehicle, the "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "upper-lower direction" correspond to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and upper-lower direction of the vehicle, respectively. Furthermore, the side of the electrical junction box 1 facing the inside is referred to as the "inner" side, and the side of the electrical junction box 1 facing the outside is referred to as the "outer" side.

[0016] <Outline of the electrical junction box> First, an overview of an electrical junction box 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The electrical junction box 1 is typically mounted on a vehicle and houses a block that holds electronic components such as relays and other components R (see Figure 2). The electrical junction box 1 is made up of a frame 11, a lower cover 12 that is attached to the bottom of the frame 11 so as to close the opening at the bottom end of the frame 11, and an upper cover 13 that is attached to the top of the frame 11 so as to close the opening at the top end of the frame 11. All three of the above components that make up the electrical junction box 1 are resin molded bodies.

[0017] In the electrical junction box 1, electric wires (not shown) electrically connected to some of the components R located inside the electrical junction box 1 are led out of the electrical junction box 1 through an electric wire lead-out hole 14 provided in the front right part of the electrical junction box 1. The same applies to the electric wire lead-out holes 14 provided in the central left part and the rear left part in the front-to-rear direction of the electrical junction box 1. Below, the frame 11, lower cover 12, and upper cover 13 that constitute the electrical junction box 1 will be described in order.

[0018] First, a description will be given of the frame 11. The frame 11 has a side wall portion 111 that is a generally rectangular cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction. The side wall portion 111 forms most of the exterior of the side surface of the electrical junction box 1.

[0019] Locked portions 112 each including a through-hole extending in the up-down direction are integrally formed on the outer surface of the lower end portion of the side wall portion 111 at a plurality of locations (eight locations in this example) in the circumferential direction. The locked portions 112 have the function of assembling the lower cover 12 to the frame 11.

[0020] The upper end of the side wall portion 111 has a plurality of (three in this example) circumferentially arranged outer surfaces each having a locking portion 113. The locking portions 113 function to assemble the upper cover 13 to the frame 11.

[0021] At a location on the side wall 111 corresponding to the electric wire outlet hole 14 (see FIG. 1), a semi-cylindrical trough-shaped portion 114 that opens downward is provided so as to extend diagonally in a lower right direction (see FIG. 2). The trough-shaped portion 114 functions to form the upper portion of the inner wall that defines the electric wire outlet hole 14. The same applies to the electric wire outlet holes 14 provided at the center left and rear left portions in the front-rear direction of the electrical junction box 1.

[0022] Stay portions 15 extending downward are integrally provided on the outer surface of each of a plurality of locations (two locations in this example) in the circumferential direction of the lower end portion of the side wall portion 111. The stay portions 15 have the function of fixing the frame 11 (i.e., the electrical junction box 1) to the mounting location of the vehicle by assembling their tip portions to the mounting location of the vehicle.

[0023] Next, we will explain the lower cover 12. The lower cover 12 integrally comprises an annular side wall portion 121 that constitutes most of the exterior of the lower side surface of the electrical junction box 1, and a bottom wall portion 122 that closes the annular lower end opening of the side wall portion 121 and constitutes most of the exterior of the bottom surface of the electrical junction box 1. The annular upper edge portion of the side wall portion 121 has a shape that corresponds to the annular lower edge portion of the side wall portion 111 of the frame 11, and is capable of fitting with the annular lower edge portion of the side wall portion 111.

[0024] On the outer surface of the upper end of the side wall portion 121, at multiple locations (eight locations in this example) around the circumference, upwardly extending locking pieces 123 are integrally formed, each corresponding to a multiple number of locking portions 112 of the frame 11 (see Figure 2).

[0025] At a location on the side wall 121 corresponding to the electric wire outlet hole 14 (see FIG. 1), a semi-cylindrical gutter portion 124 that opens upward is provided so as to extend diagonally in a lower right direction (see FIG. 2). The gutter portion 124 functions to form the rear portion of the inner wall that defines the electric wire outlet hole 14. The same applies to the electric wire outlet holes 14 provided at the center left and rear left portions in the front-to-rear direction of the electrical junction box 1.

[0026] Next, the upper cover 13 will be described. The upper cover 13 integrally comprises an annular side wall portion 131 that constitutes most of the appearance of the upper side surface of the electrical junction box 1, and an upper wall portion 132 that closes the annular upper end opening of the side wall portion 131 and constitutes most of the appearance of the top surface of the electrical junction box 1. The annular lower edge portion of the side wall portion 131 has a shape that corresponds to the annular upper edge portion of the side wall portion 111 of the frame 11, and is capable of fitting with the annular upper edge portion of the side wall portion 111.

[0027] Locking portions 133 are integrally formed on the outer surface of the side wall portion 131 at multiple locations (three locations in this example) in the circumferential direction, respectively, corresponding to the multiple locked portions 113 of the frame 11 (see FIG. 2).

[0028] The electrical junction box 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been outlined above.

[0029] First Embodiment Next, an electrical junction box 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. The electrical junction box 1 according to the first embodiment is configured to include a first block 16 that is housed in the electrical junction box and holds electronic components, a second block 17 that is housed in the electrical junction box and holds electronic components, and a connecting member 2 that electrically connects the first block 16 and the second block 17. The configuration of each component that makes up the electrical junction box 1 will be described below in order.

[0030] First, the first block 16 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the first block has a fuse connection portion 161 on which a fuse is mounted, and a component holding portion 162 on which a component R is mounted. In addition, a bus bar (not shown) is attached to the first block 16 and is electrically connected to the fuse mounted on the fuse connection portion 161 and the component R mounted on the component holding portion 162.

[0031] Next, the second block 17 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the second block 17 has a fuse connection portion 171 on which a fuse is mounted, and a component holding portion 172 on which a component R is mounted. In addition, a bus bar B is assembled to the second block 17 and is electrically connected to the fuse mounted on the fuse connection portion 171 and the component R mounted on the component holding portion 172 (see also Fig. 6).

[0032] 6, a pair of wall portions facing each other in the left-right direction of the fuse connection portion 171 are provided with elastically deformable lances 173. The lances 173 are engaged with holes H formed in the bus bar B, and function to prevent the bus bar B from coming off the second block 17.

[0033] Next, we will explain the connection member 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the connection member 2 has a bus bar 4 having a pair of connection portions 41 extending in the vertical direction, a case 5 that opens upward and receives the bus bar 4 through the opening, and a cover 3 that is attached to the case 5 from above so as to close the opening of the case 5.

[0034] The bus bar 4 corresponds to the conductive member of the present invention. In addition, of the pair of connection portions 41, the right connection portion 41 corresponds to the first connection portion of the present invention, and the left connection portion 41 corresponds to the second connection portion of the present invention. In addition, the case 5 and the cover 3 correspond to the housing of the present invention.

[0035] The bus bar 4 is integrally formed with a pair of connection portions 41 extending in the up-down direction at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, a connecting portion 42 that is continuous with the upper end edges of the pair of connection portions 41 and extends in the left-right direction to connect the pair of connection portions 41, and terminals 43 that are provided at the lower ends of the pair of connection portions 41. The predetermined interval corresponds to the distance between the fuse connection portion 161 of the first block 16 and the fuse connection portion 171 of the second block 17.

[0036] The pair of connecting portions 41 and coupling portion 42 have a flat plate shape. Terminal 43 is a female flat connecting terminal (a so-called receptacle type terminal) into which the bus bar of first block 16 or the bus bar B of second block 17 is inserted.

[0037] The case 5 is integrally constructed of a main body 51 having a generally rectangular cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens downward, and a pair of storage sections 52 provided on each of the left and right side walls of the main body 51.

[0038] The main body 51 has an elongated through-hole 53 formed in the upper wall (bottom wall) in the left-right direction. The branch connection part 44 is inserted into the through-hole 53. In addition, a fitting space 54 is defined inside the tube of the main body 51, into which the mating connector 6, which will be described later, is inserted. These will be described in the first modified example.

[0039] Each of the pair of storage sections 52 is continuous with the upper end of the main body section 51 and has a roughly L-shaped shape when viewed from the front, which is integrally formed with a first section that extends a short distance away from the main body section 51 in the left-right direction, and a second section that extends downward from the end of the first section.

[0040] The first portion of the accommodation portion 52 connects the main body portion 51 to a second portion of the accommodation portion 52 that is located away from the main body portion 51. The second portion of the accommodation portion 52 has a generally rectangular cylindrical shape. Inside the cylinder of the accommodation portion 52, an accommodation space 55 is defined in which the connection portion 41 is accommodated.

[0041] Additionally, a short locking protrusion 56 that protrudes forward is provided on the front wall of the storage section 52. A locking portion 33 of the cover 3, which will be described later, is locked onto the locking protrusion 56. Similarly, a short locking protrusion 56 that protrudes rearward is provided on the rear wall of the storage section 52 (not shown).

[0042] The cover 3 is integrally formed with a side wall portion 31 having a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape and an upper wall portion 32 that closes the upper end opening of the side wall portion 31. A pair of locking portions 33 are provided on the front wall of the side wall portion 31. The locking portions 33 are provided at positions on the front wall of the side wall portion 31 that correspond to the locking protrusions 56. Similarly, a pair of locking portions 33 (not shown) are provided on the rear wall of the side wall portion 31.

[0043] To obtain the connection member 2 consisting of the bus bar 4, case 5, and cover 3, first, the bus bar 4 is accommodated in the case 5. Specifically, the pair of connection portions 41 are inserted from above into the accommodation spaces 55 of the pair of accommodation portions 52, respectively. Then, the cover 3 is brought close from above to the case 5 accommodating the bus bar 4, and the locking portions 33 of the cover 3 are locked with the locking protrusions 56 of the case 5. In this way, the connection member 2 is obtained. The first block 16, the second block 17, and the connection member 2 that constitute the electrical junction box 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention have been described above.

[0044] Next, a description will be given of a connection structure 10 between a first block 16 and a second block 17 using a connection member 2. The connection structure 10 includes a first block 16, a second block 17, and a connection member 2. To obtain the connection structure 10, it is first necessary to attach the connection member 2 to the first block 16 and the second block 17.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, the right-side storage section 52 of the case 5 is positioned above the fuse connection section 161 of the first block 16, and the left-side storage section 52 of the case 5 is positioned above the fuse connection section 171 of the second block 17.

[0046] Then, the connection member 2 is brought close to the fuse connection portions 161 and 171 in the vertical direction, and the lower ends of the accommodating portions 52 are inserted into the fuse connection portions 161 and 171, respectively. This attaches the connection member 2 (i.e., the case 5) to the first block 16 (i.e., the fuse connection portions 161) and the second block 17 (i.e., the fuse connection portions 171). In other words, the connection structure 10 is obtained.

[0047] In the connection structure 10, the bus bar of the first block 16 and the bus bar B of the second block 17 are inserted into the terminals 43, respectively, to electrically connect the bus bar of the first block 16 to the terminals 43, and the bus bar B of the second block to the terminals 43, respectively. The connection structure 10 will be described using the connection between the second block 17 and the connection member 2 as an example.

[0048] When the lower end of the accommodating portion 52 is inserted a predetermined distance into the fuse connecting portion 171 , the bus bar B arranged to extend in the vertical direction inside the fuse connecting portion 171 is inserted into the terminal 43 .

[0049] When the lower end of the accommodating portion 52 reaches a predetermined position (i.e., when the connection member 2 is attached to the second block 17), the bus bar B is connected to the terminal 43 in a crimped state (see FIG. 6). As a result, the connection member 2 is electrically connected to the second block 17. The connection member 2 is held in the second block 17 by the contact pressure between the terminal 43 and the bus bar B.

[0050] The connection between the first block 16 and the connection member 2 is configured in the same manner as the connection between the second block 17 and the connection member 2. In this way, the first block 16 and the second block 17 are electrically connected to the connection member 2. The electrical junction box 1 according to the first embodiment has been described above.

[0051] <First Modification> Next, an electric junction box 1 according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Below, the configuration of the electric junction box 1 according to the first modified example that differs from the electric junction box 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Other parts will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions will be omitted as much as possible.

[0052] 7 and 8, the electrical junction box 1 according to the first modification includes a first block 16, a second block 17, and a connection member 2a. The connection structure 10a according to the first modification further includes a mating connector 6 to which an electric wire W is connected, in addition to the first block 16, the second block 17, and the connection member 2a.

[0053] Here, the mating connector 6 is integrally formed with a substantially rectangular box portion 61, an insertion hole 62 provided in the top wall of the box portion 61, and a locking portion 63 provided in the rear wall of the box portion 61 (see FIG. 8). A terminal (not shown) electrically connected to a conductor (not shown) of the electric wire W is housed inside the box portion 61. The branch connection portion 44 of the connection member 2a is inserted into the insertion hole 62. The locking portion 63 locks the mating connector 6 to a locked portion (not shown) provided in the fitting space 54 of the main body portion 51, thereby preventing the mating connector 6 from coming off the case 5.

[0054] First, the connection member 2a will be described. As shown in Fig. 9, the connection member 2a has a bus bar 4a, a case 5, and a cover 3. The bus bar 4a is integrally formed with a pair of connection portions 41, a linking portion 42, a terminal 43, and a branch connection portion 44. The branch connection portion 44 corresponds to the third connection portion of the present invention.

[0055] The branch connection portion 44 is continuous with the connecting portion 42 and extends downward in the up-down direction from the center portion in the left-right direction of the connecting portion 42. The branch connection portion 44 is inserted into the insertion hole 53 of the main body portion 51 of the case 5 and is disposed in the fitting space 54.

[0056] To obtain the connection member 2a consisting of the bus bar 4a, the case 5, and the cover 3, first, the bus bar 4 is accommodated in the case 5. Specifically, the pair of connection portions 41 are inserted from above into the accommodation spaces 55 of the pair of accommodation portions 52, respectively, and the branch connection portion 44 is inserted from above into the insertion hole 53 of the main body portion 51. Then, the cover 3 is brought close from above to the case 5 accommodating the bus bar 4a, and the locking portion 33 of the cover 3 is locked onto the locking protrusion 56 of the case 5. In this way, the connection member 2a is obtained.

[0057] Next, a description will be given of a connection structure 10a using the connection member 2a for the first block 16, the second block 17, and the mating connector 6. To obtain the connection structure 10a, first, the connection member 2a must be attached to the first block 16 and the second block 17, and then the mating connector 6 must be fitted to the connection member 2a.

[0058] The connection member 2a is brought close to the fuse connection portions 161 and 171 in the vertical direction, and the lower ends of the accommodating portions 52 are inserted into the fuse connection portions 161 and 171, respectively. This causes the connection member 2a (i.e., the case 5) to be attached to the first block 16 (i.e., the fuse connection portions 161) and the second block 17 (i.e., the fuse connection portions 171) (see FIG. 8). That is, the bus bars of the first block 16 and the bus bars B of the second block 17 are inserted into the terminals 43, respectively, and the connection member 2a is electrically connected to the first block 16 and the second block 17.

[0059] Then, the mating connector 6 connected to the electric wire W is placed below the main body 51, and the mating connector 6 is brought close to the main body 51 in the vertical direction and inserted into the mating space 54. When the mating connector 6 is inserted to a predetermined position in the mating space 54, the locking portion 63 is locked into a locked portion provided in the mating space 54. In this way, the connection structure 10a is obtained.

[0060] The connecting member 2 may be attached to the first block 16 and the second block 17 after the mating connector 6 is fitted to the connecting member 2a.

[0061] In the connection structure 10a, the branch connection portion 44 of the connection member 2a is inserted into the insertion hole 62 of the mating connector 6, and the terminal of the mating connector 6 and the branch connection portion 44 are electrically connected. Here, for example, the electric wire W may be connected to a battery, an alternator, or the like for power input, or the electric wire W may be connected to an auxiliary component such as a lamp or a backup camera for power output. The electric wire W is led out of the electric junction box 1, for example, through the electric wire lead-out hole 14. The electric junction box 1 according to the first modified example has been described above.

[0062] <Second Modification> Next, an electrical junction box 1 according to a second modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Below, configurations of the electrical junction box 1 according to the second modified example that differ from those of the electrical junction box 1 according to the first embodiment and the first modified example will be described. Other components will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted as much as possible.

[0063] 10, the electrical junction box 1 according to the second modified example is configured to include, in addition to the first block 16, the second block 17, and the connection member 2b, a pair of restricting members 8. The connection structure 10b according to the second modified example is configured to include, in addition to the first block 16, the second block 17, the connection member 2b, and the mating connector 6, the restricting members 8.

[0064] First, the connection member 2b will be described. As shown in Fig. 11, the connection member 2b further includes a pair of terminal portion accommodating cases 7 in addition to the bus bar 4a, the case 5, and the cover 3.

[0065] Terminal portion accommodating case 7 has a generally rectangular cylindrical shape, is attached to case 5 so as to be located at the lower end of accommodating section 52 of case 5, and accommodates terminals 43 of bus bar 4a. The terminal portion accommodating case 7 is integrally formed with a side wall portion 71 and a partition wall 73 that divides an internal space 72 (that is, a cylindrical hole) defined by the side wall portion 71.

[0066] A short locking protrusion 76 that protrudes forward is provided on the front wall of the side wall portion 71. A locking portion (not shown) provided on the case 5 is locked to the locking protrusion 76. Similarly, a short locking protrusion 76 that protrudes rearward is provided on the rear wall of the side wall portion 71 (not shown).

[0067] The partition wall 73 extends in the up-down direction so as to divide the internal space 72 in the left-right direction. In other words, the internal space 72 is divided by the partition wall 73 into a first space 74 that houses the connection portion 41 and a second space 75 that houses the restricting member 8.

[0068] Additionally, the partition wall 73 is provided with a protrusion 77 that protrudes shortly toward the inside of the second space 75 (i.e., toward the right side) in the second space 75 (see FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 12, the protrusion 77 is engaged with a first engagement hole 83 of the restricting member 8, which will be described later.

[0069] The structure for assembling the terminal portion accommodating case 7 to the case 5 may be determined appropriately and is not particularly limited, so a description of the method for assembling the connecting member 2b will be omitted.

[0070] Next, we will explain the regulating member 8. As shown in Fig. 10, the regulating member 8 has a flat plate portion 81 extending in the up-down direction and a bent portion 82 formed by bending the lower end of the flat plate portion 81 in the left-right direction.

[0071] The flat plate portion 81 is provided with a first locking hole 83 that penetrates the flat plate portion 81 in the plate thickness direction, and a second locking hole 84 that is positioned below the first locking hole 83 and penetrates the plate thickness direction. The protrusion 77 of the terminal portion accommodating case 7 is inserted into and locked in the first locking hole 83. The lance 173 of the second block 17 is inserted into and locked in the second locking hole 84.

[0072] The vertical distance between the first locking hole 83 and the second locking hole 84 corresponds to the vertical distance between the protrusion 77 and the lance 173 when the connecting member 2b is attached to the second block 17.

[0073] 12, the length of the bent portion 82 in the left-right direction corresponds to the distance in the left-right direction between the restricting member 8 and the right wall portion of the fuse connecting portion 171. As a result, the bent portion 82 functions to suppress displacement of the restricting member 8 in the left-right direction.

[0074] Next, a description will be given of a connection structure 10b using the connection member 2b, which includes the first block 16, the second block 17, and the mating connector 6. To obtain the connection structure 10b, first, the connection member 2b must be attached to the first block 16 and the second block 17 using the restricting member 8, and then the mating connector 6 must be fitted to the connection member 2b.

[0075] Here, only the attachment of the connecting member 2b to the first block 16 and the second block 17 using the restricting member 8 will be described. The following explanation will be given using the second block 17 as an example. After the connecting member 2b is attached to the first block 16 and the second block 17, the restricting member 8 is inserted from below the second block 17 toward the inside of the fuse connecting portion 171 and the second space 75 of the terminal portion accommodating case 7.

[0076] In the initial stage of insertion of the restricting member 8, the upper edge of the restricting member 8 abuts against the lance 173. As the insertion of the restricting member 8 continues, the lance 173 elastically deforms and the restricting member 8 enters the second space 75.

[0077] As the insertion of the regulating member 8 continues, the upper edge of the regulating member 8 comes into contact with the protrusion 77. At this time, for example, the regulating member 8 is inserted while tilting the upper end of the regulating member 8 away from the protrusion 77 (i.e., to the right), and when the first locking hole 83 reaches a position corresponding to the protrusion 77, the regulating member 8 is returned from the tilted state to be parallel in the vertical direction, and the protrusion 77 is inserted into the first locking hole 83. As a result, the first locking hole 83 is locked with the protrusion 77.

[0078] Furthermore, when the restricting member 8 is returned from the tilted state to be parallel in the vertical direction, the lance 173 recovers from its elastic deformation, and the free end of the lance 173 is inserted into the second locking hole 84. This causes the second locking hole 84 to lock with the lance 173. Thereafter, by fitting the mating connector 6 into the connecting member 2b, the connecting structure 10b is obtained.

[0079] In this way, the restricting member 8 is locked to the second block 17 and the connecting member 2b. This restricts displacement of the connecting member 2b and the second block 17 in the separation direction. Specifically, downward displacement of the second block 17 and upward displacement of the connecting member 2b are restricted. In this way, the restricting member 8 functions to prevent the connecting member 2b from separating from the second block 17. As a result, the reliability of the connection between the second block 17 and the connecting member 2b is improved.

[0080] The same applies to the attachment of the connection member 2b to the first block 16 using the restricting member 8. The electrical junction box 1 according to the second modified example has been described above.

[0081] Second Embodiment Next, an electrical junction box 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 16. Below, configurations of the electrical junction box 1 according to the second embodiment that differ from the electrical junction box 1 according to the first embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example will be described. Other components will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted as much as possible.

[0082] 13 and 14, the electrical junction box 1 according to the second embodiment includes a first block, a second block 17, and a connection member 102. The connection structure 110 according to the second embodiment includes a first block 16, a second block 17, and a connection member 102.

[0083] First, a description will be given of connecting member 102. As shown in Fig. 15 , connecting member 102 includes bus bar 104 having a pair of connecting portions 141 extending in the vertical direction, case 105 that opens downward and receives bus bar 104 through the opening, cover 108 that is pivotally supported on case 105, and a pair of terminal portion receiving cases 7 that receive terminals 143 of bus bar 104.

[0084] Bus bar 104 corresponds to the conductive member of the present invention. In addition, of the pair of connection portions 141, right connection portion 141 corresponds to the first connection portion of the present invention, and left connection portion 141 corresponds to the second connection portion of the present invention. In addition, case 105, cover 108, and the pair of terminal portion accommodating cases 7 correspond to the housing of the present invention.

[0085] The bus bar 104 is integrally configured with a pair of connection portions 141 extending in the up-down direction with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, a linking portion 142 continuing from the upper edges of the pair of connection portions 141 and extending in the left-right direction to link the pair of connection portions 141, terminals 143 provided at the lower ends of the pair of connection portions 141, and a branch connection portion 144 continuing from the linking portion 142 and extending vertically from the center of the linking portion 142 in the left-right direction. The predetermined interval corresponds to the distance between the fuse connection portion 161 of the first block 16 and the fuse connection portion 171 of the second block 17. In addition, the branch connection portion 144 corresponds to the third connection portion of the present invention.

[0086] The pair of connecting portions 141, the linking portion 142, and the branch connecting portion 144 have a flat plate shape. The terminal 143 is a female flat connecting terminal (a so-called receptacle type terminal) into which the bus bar of the first block 16 or the bus bar B of the second block 17 is inserted.

[0087] The case 105 is integrally constructed of a main body 51 that opens downward, an axis accommodating section 152 that accommodates a pivoting axis 183 of the cover 108 described later, a bearing section 153 that rotatably supports the pivoting axis 183, and a locking section 154 that locks onto the locking protrusion 76 of the terminal section accommodating case 7.

[0088] Cover 108 is integrally formed with a side wall portion 181 having a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, an upper wall portion 182 that closes the upper end opening of side wall portion 181, and a rotating shaft portion 183 provided on the right wall portion of side wall portion 181. Rotating shaft portion 183 is housed in shaft portion housing portion 152 of case 105 and is rotatably supported by bearing portion 153.

[0089] To obtain connection member 102 consisting of bus bar 104, case 105, cover 108, and terminal portion accommodating case 7, first, bus bar 104 is accommodated in case 105. Specifically, bus bar 104 is disposed below case 105, and branch connection portion 144 is inserted from below into an insertion hole (not shown) provided in case 105.

[0090] Then, the terminal portion accommodating case 7 is brought close from below to the case 105 accommodating the bus bar 104, and the locking protrusions 76 of the terminal portion accommodating case 7 are locked into the locking portions 154 of the case 105. Then, the pivot shaft 183 of the cover 108 is accommodated in the shaft portion accommodating portion 152 of the case 105, and the pivot shaft 183 is pivotally supported by the bearing portion 153 of the case 105. In this way, the connecting member 102 is obtained.

[0091] The cover 108 is rotatably supported on the case 105, and can therefore freely rotate between a closed position (see Figures 13 and 14) in which it covers the branch connection portion 144 extending upward, and an open position (see Figure 16) in which it exposes the branch connection portion 144 to the outside.

[0092] Next, a connection structure 110 between the first block 16 and the second block 17 using the connection member 102 will be described. The connection structure 110 includes the first block 16, the second block 17, and the connection member 102. To obtain the connection structure 110, it is first necessary to attach the connection member 102 to the first block 16 and the second block 17.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 14, the right terminal portion accommodating case 7 is placed above the fuse connection portion 161 of the first block 16, and the left terminal portion accommodating case 7 is placed above the fuse connection portion 171 of the second block 17.

[0094] Then, the connecting member 102 is brought close to the fuse connecting portions 161 and 171 in the vertical direction, and the terminal portion accommodating cases 7 are inserted into the fuse connecting portions 161 and 171, respectively. As a result, the connecting member 102 is attached to the first block 16 and the second block 17 (see FIG. 13). That is, the connecting structure 110 is obtained.

[0095] The connecting member 102 is used when, for example, a booster cable (not shown) is connected to the branch connection portion 144 to supply power to another vehicle. In other words, the bus bar 104 is a so-called rescue terminal. The electrical junction box 1 according to the second embodiment has been described above.

[0096] <Actions and Effects> According to the connection member 2 of this embodiment, the pair of connection portions 41 of the bus bar 4 are electrically connected to the bus bar of the fuse connection portion 161 in the first block 16 and the bus bar B of the fuse connection portion 171 in the second block 17. Then, the case 5 is attached to the fuse connection portions 161, 171. In this way, the connection member 2 of this embodiment can easily electrically connect the first block 16 and the second block 17 by simply attaching the connection member 2 to the fuse connection portions 161, 171. Although the symbols of the first embodiment have been used in the description, the first modified example, the second modified example, and the second embodiment can also achieve the same functions and effects.

[0097] Incidentally, the circuit configuration of many electrical junction boxes installed in vehicles is changed depending on the model, grade, etc. (so-called specifications) of the vehicle in which it is installed. Circuits are sometimes configured by holding electronic components in blocks housed in the electrical junction box, and the electronic components held by the blocks vary depending on the specifications. For this reason, it was necessary to prepare multiple types of blocks capable of holding electronic components according to the specifications so as to accommodate each specification. In other words, in conventional electrical junction boxes, a method of changing the circuit configuration was, for example, to house multiple types of blocks in the electrical junction box depending on the specifications.

[0098] However, the connection member 2 according to this embodiment can connect two blocks housed in the electrical junction box 1. Therefore, fuses and components R can be additionally mounted according to specifications to blocks already housed in the electrical junction box 1. This eliminates the need to prepare or manufacture blocks according to specifications, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the electrical junction box 1.

[0099] Furthermore, according to the connection member 2a of this embodiment, the bus bar 4a has a branch connection portion 44. This makes it easy to supply power to the block and take power out of the block according to specifications. Although the description has been given using the reference numerals of the first modified example, the second modified example and the second embodiment can also achieve the same functions and effects.

[0100] Furthermore, according to the connection member 2a of this embodiment, the case 5 has a mating space 54 into which the mating connector 6 can be fitted. This makes it possible to easily supply power to and extract power from the block by fitting the mating connector 6 into the mating space 54 according to the specifications. Although the description has been given using the symbols of the first modified example, the second modified example can also achieve the same functions and effects.

[0101] As described above, the connection members 2, 2a, 2b, 102 according to this embodiment are excellent in workability in connecting two blocks housed in the electrical junction box 1, and can also provide various other functions and effects.

[0102] The electrical junction box 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the above-mentioned functions and effects.

[0103] <Other forms> 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.

[0104] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the connection member and the electric junction box according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [4]. [1] A connection member (2, 2a, 2b, 102) capable of electrically connecting a first block (16) and a second block (17) accommodated in an electrical connection box (1) and capable of holding an electronic component (component R), a conductive member (bus bar 4, 4 a, 104) having a first connection portion (connection portion 41, 141) to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion (161) in the first block (16) and a second connection portion (connection portion 41, 141) to be electrically connected to a conductive portion (bus bar B) of the fuse connection portion (171) in the second block (17); a housing (cover 3, 108, case 5, 105, terminal portion accommodating case 7) that accommodates the conductive member; The housing (case 5, terminal portion accommodating case 7) is The fuse connecting portion (161) of the first block (16) and the fuse connecting portion (171) of the second block (17) are configured to be attachable to each other. Connection member (2, 2a, 2b, 102). [2] In the connecting member (2a, 2b, 102) described in [1] above, The conductive member (bus bar 4, 104) Further, a third connection portion (branch connection portion 44, 144) is provided branching from the conduction path between the first connection portion (connection portion 41, 141) and the second connection portion (connection portion 41, 141). Connection member (2a, 2b, 102). [3] In the connection member (2a, 2b) described in [2] above, The housing (case 5) is The connector includes a fitting space (54) for accommodating the third connection portion (branch connection portion 44) and for inserting a mating connector (6) to be connected to the third connection portion (branch connection portion 44). Connection members (2a, 2b). [4] An electric connection box (1) comprising the connection member (2, 2a, 2b, 102) according to any one of the above [1] to [3], the first block (16), and the second block (17), The connecting members (2, 2a, 2b, 102) are The first block (16) that holds the electronic component (component R) and the second block (17) that holds the electronic component (component R) are electrically connected. Electrical junction box (1). [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Electrical junction box 2, 2a, 2b, 102 connecting member 3,108 covers 4, 4a, 104 Bus bar (conductive member) 5,105 cases 6 Mating connector 7 Terminal housing case 8 Regulatory Members 10, 10a, 10b, 110 Connection structure 11 frames 12 Lower cover 13 Upper cover 16 Block 1 17 Block 2 41,141 Connection part (1st connection part, 2nd connection part) 44,144 Branch connection part (third connection part) 161 Fuse connection 171 Fuse connection B Busbar (conductive part) R parts (electronic parts)

Claims

1. A connection member capable of electrically connecting a first block and a second block that are housed in an electrical connection box and can hold electronic components, a conductive member having a first connection portion to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion in the first block and a second connection portion to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion in the second block; a housing that accommodates the conductive member, The housing includes: a fuse connection portion of the first block and a fuse connection portion of the second block; a terminal portion accommodating case that accommodates the terminal portion of the conductive member through an opening that opens upward, The terminal portion accommodating case is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape and has an internal space. The terminal portion accommodating case includes a partition wall that divides the internal space into a first space and a second space, and a protrusion provided on the partition wall so as to protrude into the second space. a restricting member engaged with the first block and the second block to prevent separation of the connecting member from the first block and the second block, the restricting member being inserted into the second space of the terminal portion accommodating case, and a locking hole of the restricting member being locked with the protrusion; Connecting member.

2. The connecting member according to claim 1 , The conductive member is The semiconductor device further includes a third connection portion branching from a conductive path between the first connection portion and the second connection portion. Connecting member.

3. A connection member capable of electrically connecting a first block and a second block housed in an electrical connection box and capable of holding electronic components, a conductive member having a first connection portion to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion in the first block and a second connection portion to be electrically connected to a conductive portion of the fuse connection portion in the second block; a housing that accommodates the conductive member, The housing includes: a fuse connection portion of the first block and a fuse connection portion of the second block; The conductive member is a third connection portion branching from a conductive path between the first connection portion and the second connection portion; The housing includes: a fitting space for accommodating the third connection portion and into which a mating connector to be connected to the third connection portion is inserted; Connecting member.

4. An electrical connection box comprising the connection member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the first block, and the second block, The connecting member is electrically connecting the first block that holds the electronic component and the second block that holds the electronic component; Electrical junction box.

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