Electrical junction box

Abstract

To provide an electric connection box that can prevent the generation of deflection on one side that comes into contact with an object to be installed during installation.SOLUTION: An electric connection box includes a fastening portion 23A used for attachment to a battery pack 200, and is attached to the battery pack 200 from the outer surface 313, and the fastening portion 23A is located at the center of the outer surface 313, and a deflection prevention mechanism 60 that prevents the outer surface 313 from deflecting is provided near the fastening portion 23A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electrical connection box for housing electronic components such as fuses and relays has been mounted on a vehicle.

[0003] The electrical connection box includes a housing. For example, the housing includes a first case with one side open for housing the electronic components, and a second case covering the open side of the first case (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The above electrical connection box is attached to the attachment target from the bottom side of the first case. Specifically, a bolt is inserted into a through hole provided in the bottom of the first case from the attachment target and screwed. At this time, in order to prevent the screw connection from loosening due to the thermal expansion of the electrical connection box, a collar is provided in such a through hole, and such screw connection is performed in a state where the collar is abutted against the attachment target.

[0006] However, when the bottom of the first case is bent downward, for example, due to its own weight, the bottom hits the attachment target earlier than the collar. Therefore, in the above screw operation, a problem occurs in that the abutment between the collar and the attachment target is hindered.

[0007] However, the electrical connection box of Patent Document 1 does not consider such a problem and cannot solve the above problem.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an electrical connection box that can prevent bending from occurring on one surface that comes into contact with the object to be attached during installation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An electrical junction box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a mounting portion used for mounting to an object, and is mounted to the object from one side, wherein the mounting portion is located in the center of the one side, and a deflection prevention mechanism is provided near the mounting portion to prevent deflection of the one side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrical connection box that can prevent bending from occurring on one surface that comes into contact with the object to be attached during installation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an electrical junction box according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] These are a plan view and a side view of an electrical junction box according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an exploded view of an electrical junction box according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a bottom perspective view of the electrical junction box according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view along line AA. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-section along line AA in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view taken along the BB line. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Invention] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0013] (1) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a mounting portion used for mounting to an object, and is an electrical connection box mounted to the object from one side. The mounting portion is located at the central portion of the one side, and a deflection prevention mechanism for preventing deflection of the one side is provided in the vicinity of the mounting portion.

[0014] In this embodiment, a deflection prevention mechanism for preventing deflection is provided in the vicinity of the mounting portion located at the central portion of the one side. Therefore, deflection of the one side can be prevented, and it can be prevented that the mounting of the electrical connection box to the object is not properly performed due to the deflection of the one side.

[0015] (2) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first case having the one side and an opening formed on the opposite side of the one side, and a second case covering the opening of the first case. The deflection prevention mechanism has an engaging portion provided on the first case and an engaged portion provided on the second case and engaged with the engaging portion.

[0016] In this embodiment, the deflection prevention mechanism has an engaging portion provided on the first case and an engaged portion provided on the second case and engaged with the engaging portion. Therefore, by assembling the first case and the second case, the engaging portion and the engaged portion are engaged, and the deflection prevention mechanism prevents deflection of the one side.

[0017] (3) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a confirmation window formed on the one side for confirming the engagement of the engaging portion and the engaged portion.

[0018] In this embodiment, it has the confirmation window for confirming the engagement of the engaging portion and the engaged portion. Therefore, when assembling the first case and the second case, an operator can confirm whether the engaging portion and the engaged portion are properly engaged through the confirmation window.

[0019] (4) The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mounting portion is provided in the second case, is fitted into a through cylinder formed on the one surface, the engaging portion is provided in the through cylinder, and the engaged portion is integrally formed with the mounting portion.

[0020] In this embodiment, the engaging portion is provided in the through cylinder, and the engaged portion is integrally formed with the mounting portion. Therefore, when assembling the first case and the second case, only by inserting the mounting portion of the second case into the through cylinder of the first case, the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage with each other.

[0021] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Invention] The electrical connection box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, and is shown by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connection box 100 according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view and a side view of the electrical connection box 100 according to an embodiment, FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the electrical connection box 100 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connection box 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the electrical connection box 100, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the electrical connection box 100. The electrical connection box 100 is attached to the outside of a mounting object (object), such as a battery pack 200 (see FIG. 2) of an EV (Electric Vehicle) for example.

[0023] The electrical junction box 100 includes a housing 50 that houses, for example, a fuse, a circuit board, etc. The housing 50 is a flat box, approximately rectangular in plan view, with one corner at one end in the longitudinal direction cut out in a stepped shape. The housing 50 is made of, for example, resin and consists of a lower case 30 (first case) that is attached to the mounting object and an upper case 20 (second case) that covers the lower case 30. For the sake of explanation, the upper case 20 side will be referred to as the top and the lower case 30 side as the bottom.

[0024] The lower case 30 has the shape of a box with one side facing the upper case 20 open, forming an open section 36. The lower case 30 has a bottom wall 31 on the outside that is in contact with the mounting object, and a side wall 33 that extends perpendicularly from the edge of the bottom wall 31 toward the upper case 20. Multiple ribs are formed on the inside of the lower case 30 (see Figure 3).

[0025] The bottom wall 31 of the lower case 30 has recesses 32b formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction and a recess 32a formed in the middle. The recesses 32a and 32b are formed at positions corresponding to the fastening portion 23 (mounting portion) of the upper case 20, which will be described later.

[0026] More specifically, recesses 32b are formed at both corners of both ends of the lower case 30. Each recess 32b is roughly rectangular in plan view, and the side wall 33 is bent at approximately a right angle at each recess 32b, with the recessed corners being chamfered (see Figure 3).

[0027] Furthermore, a recess 32a is formed in the middle of the long side of the lower case 30. The recess 32a is approximately rectangular in plan view. The side wall 33 is recessed inward of the lower case 30 at the recess 32a, and the recessed corners are chamfered (see Figure 3).

[0028] Furthermore, a through-cylinder 34 is formed approximately in the center of the bottom wall 31, into which the fastening portion 23A of the upper case 20, described later, is inserted. The through-cylinder 34 is cylindrical in shape and penetrates the bottom wall 31 in the thickness direction. That is, the axis of the through-cylinder 34 extends in the thickness direction of the bottom wall 31, with one side protruding perpendicularly from the inner surface 312 of the bottom wall 31 and the other side protruding perpendicularly from the outer surface 313 (one surface) of the bottom wall 31. The fastening portion 23A of the upper case 20 is fitted inside the through-cylinder 34 and protrudes from the lower end of the through-cylinder 34. In addition, ribs 311 are erected on the outer surface 313 of the bottom wall 31, for example, in a grid shape.

[0029] The upper case 20 has the shape of a box with one side facing the lower case 30 open. The upper case 20 is slightly larger than the lower case 30 in both its length and width (perpendicular to the length), and covers the open portion 36 of the lower case 30.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper case 20 has a ceiling wall 21 facing the bottom wall 31 of the lower case 30, and side walls 22 that are provided around the edge of the ceiling wall 21 and extend in the vertical direction. The upper case 20 is provided with fastening parts 23, 23A at both ends and in the middle of its length for attaching the housing 50 (electrical connection box 100) to the mounting target.

[0031] More specifically, the fastening portions 23 are provided at both corners of one end in the longitudinal direction, and at both corners and between both corners of the other end. Furthermore, in the upper case 20, three fastening portions 23, 23A are arranged in parallel in the width direction in the middle of the longitudinal direction. Each fastening portion 23, 23A protrudes from the inner surface 214 of the ceiling wall 21 facing the bottom wall 31 (see Figure 5), and all fastening portions 23 except for one fastening portion 23A located approximately in the center of the ceiling wall 21 are provided near the side wall 22 (see Figure 2A). Furthermore, multiple inner ribs 25 are provided protruding from the inner surface 214 of the ceiling wall 21 (see Figures 5 and 6). The multiple inner ribs 25 are plate-shaped.

[0032] Each fastening portion 23, 23A is made of resin and has a bottomed cylindrical shape, with the ceiling wall 21 side open. In addition, a fixing through hole 231 is formed at the bottom of each fastening portion 23, 23A, which is used when attaching the housing 50 to the mounting object (see Figures 4 to 6). The housing 50 (electrical connection box 100) can be attached to the mounting object by inserting a bolt 300 through the fixing through hole 231 of the fastening portion 23, 23A from the mounting object and screwing it into a nut (not shown) provided inside the fastening portion 23, 23A.

[0033] As described above, the fastening portion 23 of the upper case 20 is located inside the recesses 32a and 32b of the lower case 30.

[0034] Multiple connection points 212 for connecting to other devices are provided at various locations on the outer surface 211 opposite the inner surface 214 of the ceiling wall 21. In addition, multiple mounting seats 213 for relays 400 are provided approximately in the center of the outer surface 211 of the ceiling wall 21, and multiple relays 400 are mounted there. For convenience, the relays 400 are not shown in Figure 3.

[0035] Furthermore, multiple outer ribs 24 are provided protruding from the outer surface 211 of the ceiling wall 21. The outer ribs 24 include a first outer rib 24a to prevent warping due to gravity and a second outer rib 24b to prevent warping due to differences in thermal expansion (see Figure 3).

[0036] The first outer rib 24a has a triangular plate shape and is mainly provided on the edge of the ceiling wall 21. That is, the vertical dimension of each first outer rib 24a decreases as it moves from the center of the ceiling wall 21 closer to the edge. As described above, the first outer rib 24a suppresses warping of the ceiling wall 21 caused by the weight of the relay 400 (see Figures 1 and 2) mounted in the center.

[0037] The second outer rib 24b is plate-shaped and is provided at the end of the ceiling wall 21 in the longitudinal direction. For convenience, this embodiment will be described using the example where the second outer rib 24b is provided at only one end of the ceiling wall 21, but it is not limited to this and may be provided at both ends.

[0038] Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view along line AA of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA of Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view along line BB of Figure 4. In Figure 6, for the sake of explanation, the mounting object (battery pack 200) and the bolt 300 are shown with dashed lines (dotted lines).

[0039] As described above, the fastening portion 23A in the approximate center of the ceiling wall 21 has its lower end inserted into the through-cylinder 34 in the approximate center of the bottom wall 31. In addition, the lower end of the fastening portion 23A protrudes slightly beyond the lower end of the through-cylinder 34, and the lower end surface of the fastening portion 23A is exposed to the outside.

[0040] A collar 40 is fitted into a fixed through-hole 231 formed at the bottom of the fastening portion 23A. The collar 40 is made of metal and has a ring shape. The collar 40 is interposed between the bolt 300 and the fastening portion 23A (fixed through-hole 231) to prevent the resin fastening portion 23A from being crushed by the screwing in of the metal bolt 300. On the lower end surface of the fastening portion 23A, a recessed rib is provided around the fixed through-hole 231 (see Figure 5).

[0041] In the electrical junction box 100 according to this embodiment, a deflection prevention mechanism 60 is provided near the fastening portion 23A and the through-cylinder 34 to prevent the bottom wall 31 (central portion) from bending. The deflection prevention mechanism 60 is located in the central portion of the bottom wall 31 and includes an engaging portion 61 provided on the lower case 30 and an engaged portion 62 provided on the upper case 20 that engages with the engaging portion 61.

[0042] The engaging portion 61 has the shape of a right triangle in a vertical cross-sectional view (see Figures 5 and 6) and is provided at one point on the upper edge of the through-cylinder 34. That is, the engaging portion 61 is integrally formed with the through-cylinder 34. The engaging portion 61 extends upward from the upper edge of the through-cylinder 34 and protrudes beyond the outer circumferential surface of the through-cylinder 34. Specifically, the engaging portion 61 is provided such that the radial dimension (hereinafter referred to as thickness) of the through-cylinder 34 is greater than the wall thickness of the through-cylinder 34 and decreases towards the upper end.

[0043] The engaged portion 62 protrudes downward from the inner surface 214 of the ceiling wall 21 and is positioned outside the engaged portion 61 in the radial direction of the through-cylinder 34, corresponding to the engaged portion 61. That is, the engaged portion 62 is provided at a predetermined distance from the outer circumferential surface of the fastening portion 23A and is integrally formed with the fastening portion 23A via the ceiling wall 21. The distance between the engaged portion 62 and the fastening portion 23A is greater than the wall thickness of the through-cylinder 34 and less than the maximum thickness of the engaged portion 61.

[0044] Furthermore, the engaged portion 62 has a rectangular plate shape, with a strip-shaped notch 621 extending downward from the upper side. That is, the engaged portion 62 has a U-shape (see Figure 7). The engaging portion 61 is inserted into the notch 621, and the engaging portion 61 and the engaged portion 62 are engaged.

[0045] In the bottom wall 31, a confirmation window 35 is formed near the through-cylinder 34 to check whether the engaging portion 61 and the engaged portion 62 are properly engaged. The confirmation window 35 is substantially rectangular and penetrates the bottom wall 31 in the thickness direction. The edge of the confirmation window 35 protrudes below the outer surface 313 of the bottom wall 31.

[0046] As described above, the electrical connection box 100 is attached to the outside of the mounting object, such as the battery pack 200, from the bottom wall 31 side. Specifically, bolts 300 are inserted from the battery pack 200 into the fixing through holes 231 of the fastening parts 23, 23A and screwed in. At this time, it is necessary to prevent the screws from loosening by bringing the collar 40 of the fastening part 23A and the battery pack 200 into contact, as they are both made of metal and have a small amount of thermal expansion.

[0047] However, if the central part of the bottom wall 31 bends downward due to its own weight (see arrow in Figure 6), the bottom wall 31, or the through-cylinder 34 and rib 311, will come into contact with the battery pack 200 before the collar 40. This creates a problem where the collar 40 does not come into contact with the battery pack 200 during the screwing operation between the battery pack 200 and the fastening portion 23A.

[0048] In contrast, in the electrical connection box 100 according to this embodiment, a deflection prevention mechanism 60 is provided near the fastening portion 23A and the through-cylinder 34, so that, for example, the central part of the bottom wall 31 does not deflect downward due to its own weight. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem, in which the collar 40 of the fastening portion 23A and the object to be mounted (battery pack 200) do not come into contact due to the deflection of the bottom wall 31, can be prevented in advance.

[0049] Furthermore, in the electrical connection box 100 according to this embodiment, as described above, the engaging portion 61 is integrally formed with the through-cylinder 34, and the engaged portion 62 is integrally formed with the fastening portion 23A. Therefore, when assembling the upper case 20 and the lower case 30, the engaging portion 61 and the engaged portion 62 are engaged simply by inserting the fastening portion 23A into the through-cylinder 34. Thus, the workability of assembly can be improved.

[0050] Furthermore, in the electrical connection box 100 according to this embodiment, as described above, an inspection window 35 is formed near the through-cylinder 34, so when assembling the upper case 20 and the lower case 30, it is possible to check through the inspection window 35 whether the engaging portion 61 and the engaged portion 62 are properly engaged.

[0051] In the above description, the example given is that there is one deflection prevention mechanism 60, but it is not limited to this. Multiple deflection prevention mechanisms 60 may be arranged in the central part of the bottom wall 31.

[0052] Furthermore, although the above description has used the example of a case where the engaging portion 61 is integrally formed with the through-cylinder 34 and the engaged portion 62 is integrally formed with the fastening portion 23A, the explanation is not limited to this. The engaging portion 61 may be integrally formed with the fastening portion 23A (upper case 20) and the engaged portion 62 may be integrally formed with the through-cylinder 34 (lower case 30).

[0053] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not in the sense described above, and all modifications are intended to be in the sense and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0054] The matters described in each embodiment can be combined with each other. Furthermore, the independent and dependent claims described in the claims can be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the form of reference. In addition, the claims use a form in which claims referencing two or more other claims (multi-claim form), but are not limited to this. A form in which multi-claims referencing at least one multi-claim (multi-multi-claim) may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 20 Upper Case (Second Case) 21 Ceiling and Wall 22,33 side wall 23,23A Fastening part (mounting part) 24 Outer Ribs 24a First outer rib 24b Second outer rib 25 Inner Rib 30 Lower Case (Case 1) 31 Bottom wall 32a Recess 32b Recess 34 Penetration tube 35 Confirmation window 36 Open area 40 colors 50 cabinets 60. Anti-flexing mechanism 61 Engaging part 62 Engaged portion 100 Electrical junction box 200 Battery Pack 211 External surface 212 Connection part 213 Mounting Seat 214 Inner surface 231 Fixed through hole 300 volts 311 Rib 312 Inner surface 313 External surface (one side) 400 relays 621 Notch

Claims

1. An electrical connection box having a mounting portion used for attachment to an object, which is attached to and fixed to the object from one side, The mounting portion is cylindrical in shape and is exposed to the outside at the center of the surface, penetrating the surface. A deflection prevention mechanism is provided near the mounting portion to prevent the deflection of the surface. A first case having the aforementioned surface and having an opening formed on the side opposite to the aforementioned surface, The first case comprises a second case that covers the opening portion of the first case, The aforementioned bending prevention mechanism is, The engagement portion provided in the first case, An electrical connection box provided in the second case, having an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, further comprising a confirmation window formed on one surface for confirming the engagement of the engaging portion and the engaged portion.

3. The mounting portion is provided in the second case and is fitted inside a through-cylinder formed on one surface. The engagement portion is provided in the through-cylinder, The electrical connection box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engaged portion is integrally formed with the mounting portion.

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