Electrical junction box

Abstract

To provide an electrical junction box capable of appropriately realizing a mechanism that prevents fitting in an incorrect fitting posture.SOLUTION: In an electrical junction box 1, a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A protrude from one side of a housing in a width direction Y, and are capable of engaging with an object. Connector interference parts 33A protrude from the other side of the housing in the width direction Y. A connector accommodation part 41 has an accommodation part interference rib 411 that protrudes from one side of the connector accommodation part 41 in the width direction Y. In the connector accommodation part 41, when a male connector 30A is fit to the connector accommodation part 41 in a normal fitting posture in which the L-shaped ribs 32A position on the accommodation part interference rib 411 side, the accommodation part interference rib 411 positions between the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A and when the male connector 30A is fit to the connector accommodation part 41 in an incorrect fitting posture in which the connector interference parts 33A position on the accommodation part interference rib 411 side, the accommodation part interference rib 411 interferes with the connector interference parts 33A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an electrical connection box, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a junction box that prevents incorrect fitting of connectors into a connector housing portion. In this junction box, rib fitting recesses for preventing incorrect fitting of connectors are provided at different positions on the side walls of each of a plurality of connector housing portions, and ribs provided on the outer surface of the connector to be fitted into the connector housing portion are fitted into the rib fitting recesses.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the junction box described in Patent Document 1 suppresses the fitting of the connector in an incorrect fitting posture by fitting the rib of the connector into the rib fitting recess of the connector housing portion, but the configuration for suppressing the fitting in an incorrect fitting posture tends to become complicated.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an electrical connection box that can appropriately realize a mechanism for suppressing fitting in an incorrect fitting posture.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the electrical connection box according to the present invention comprises a connector having terminals and a housing that accommodates the terminals and that mates with a mating connector along the mating direction, and a connector housing portion that accommodates the connector, wherein the connector has a pair of L-shaped ribs that protrude from one side of the housing along the width direction intersecting the mating direction and are capable of engaging with an object, and a connector interference portion that protrudes from the other side of the housing in the width direction, and the connector housing portion has a housing portion interference rib that protrudes from one side of the connector housing portion in the width direction, wherein when the connector is fitted into the connector housing portion in a normal mating position where the L-shaped ribs are located on the side of the housing portion interference rib, the housing portion interference rib is located between the pair of L-shaped ribs, and when the connector is fitted into the connector housing portion in an improper mating position where the connector interference portion is located on the side of the housing portion interference rib, the housing portion interference rib interferes with the connector interference portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The electrical junction box according to the present invention uses a pair of L-shaped ribs that also serve the function of engaging with an object, thereby enabling a configuration that prevents the connector from being fitted into the connector housing in an improper mating position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an electrical junction box according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a rear view showing an example of the configuration of an electrical junction box according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the connector configuration according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the connector configuration according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a front view showing an example of connector connection according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the connector housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is a front view showing an example of a connector according to the embodiment housed in a normal mating position. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a front view showing an example of a connector according to the embodiment housed in an improperly mated position. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front view showing an example of connector connection according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same. Moreover, the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0010] An electrical junction box 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with each other in each figure, the first direction will be referred to as the "mating direction X", the second direction as the "width direction Y", and the third direction as the "height direction Z". The mating direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z intersect with each other and are typically perpendicular. The mating direction X is the direction in which the male connector 30A and the female connector 30B are mated. The width direction Y is the direction along the width of the male connector 30A. The height direction Z is the direction in which the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A are aligned. Unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following description refer to the directions when each part is assembled with each other and the electrical junction box 1 is mounted on a vehicle.

[0011] The electrical junction box 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and incorporated into a wire harness. A wire harness is a bundle of multiple wiring materials used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on a vehicle, for example, and the multiple wiring materials are connected to each device using connectors or the like. The wire harness comprises conductive wiring materials and an electrical junction box 1 that is electrically connected to the wiring materials. The wiring materials consist of, for example, metal rods, electric wires, and bundles of electric wires. A metal rod is a conductive rod-shaped member with an insulating coating on its outside. An electric wire is a conductor (core wire) consisting of multiple conductive metal strands with an insulating coating on its outside. A bundle of electric wires is a bundle of such electric wires. The wire harness bundles and aggregates multiple wiring materials W, and the electrical junction box 1 is electrically connected to the bundled wiring materials via connectors or the like provided at the ends of the bundled wiring materials. The wire harness may also include protectors, outer coverings, fasteners, and the like.

[0012] The electrical junction box 1 is a connector box that aggregates and connects, for example, multiple connectors provided at the ends of the wiring materials of a wire harness with the connectors of each device in the vehicle. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical junction box 1 comprises a grommet 10, electronic components 20, mating connectors 30, and a housing box 40.

[0013] The grommet 10 is a component that fits into the insertion opening of the housing box 40 to seal the opening for water, and through which a cable connecting to the electronic components 20 housed inside the housing box 40 is inserted. The grommet 10 is formed as an elastic body from an insulating elastic resin material that has low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer (for example, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM)).

[0014] The electronic components 20 perform electrical processing related to the vehicle and include various electronic components such as fuses, relays, branching points, and electronic control units. The electronic components 20 are housed in an electronic component housing section provided in the housing box 40.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the fitting connector 30 is composed of a male connector 30A and a female connector 30B.

[0016] The female connector 30B has a female terminal having conductivity, a housing 31b, and a cavity 31B. The housing 31b is formed of an insulating synthetic resin, and the cavity 31B is formed therein. The cavity 31B accommodates a plurality of terminals. The cavity 31B has an accommodation space portion formed along the fitting direction X, and is divided so that each terminal can be individually accommodated.

[0017] The male connector 30A has a male terminal having conductivity, a housing 31a, a cavity 31A, a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A, a pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A, a pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B, and a pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B. The housing 31a is formed of an insulating synthetic resin, and the cavity 31A is formed therein. The cavity 31A accommodates a plurality of terminals. The cavity 31A has an accommodation space portion formed along the fitting direction X, and is divided so that each terminal can be individually accommodated.

[0018] The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are L-shaped projections when viewed from the mating direction X, and are capable of engaging with an object. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are formed protruding from one side of the housing 31a along the width direction Y, extend along the mating direction X, and are arranged side by side along the height direction Z. The L-shaped rib 32A has a first extended portion that extends along the width direction Y, and a second extended portion that extends along the height direction Z from the tip of the first extended portion. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are arranged so that the tips of the second extended portions face each other along the height direction Z. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are provided with a wall portion for abutting at one end on the mating direction X. When connecting two male connectors 30A, as described later, the tips of the pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A of the mating male connector 30A abut against this wall portion. A pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are provided with a locking claw 321A between them, which is locked into the locking arm 331A described later. As shown in Figure 3, the locking claw 321A is a claw formed to protrude from one side of the housing 31a along the width direction Y.

[0019] The pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A are protrusions formed in an L shape when viewed from the fitting direction X. The pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A are formed to protrude from the other side of the housing 31a along the width direction Y, extend along the fitting direction X, and are provided side by side along the height direction Z. The connector interference portion 33A has a first extending portion extending along the width direction Y and a second extending portion extending along the height direction Z from the tip of the first extending portion. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are provided with the tips of the second extending portions facing opposite to each other along the height direction Z. The pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A are provided with abutting walls at the ends on the other side in the fitting direction X. When connecting the male connectors 30A to each other, the tips of the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A of the mating male connector 30A are abutted against this wall portion. The pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A have locking arms 331A. As shown in FIG. 4, the locking arm 331A is an arm provided on the other side in the width direction Y of the housing 31a so as to be elastically deformable. The locking arm 331A is provided between the pair of connector interference portions 33A, 33A and extends along the fitting direction X. The tip 332 and the base end of the locking arm 331A in the fitting direction X are fixed to the housing 31a, and the intermediate portion between the tip 332 and the base end is elastically deformable. The locking arm 331A is formed with a claw that is locked to the locking claw 321A at this intermediate portion. When the male connector 30A is misfitted into the connector housing portion 41 in an incorrect fitting posture, the tip 332 of the locking arm 331A interferes with the housing interference rib 411 described later.

[0020] The pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B are L-shaped projections when viewed from the mating direction X, and are capable of locking onto an object. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B are formed protruding from one side of the housing 31a along the height direction Z, extend along the mating direction X, and are arranged side by side along the width direction Y. The L-shaped rib 32B has a first extended portion that extends along the height direction Z, and a second extended portion that extends along the width direction Y from the tip of the first extended portion. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B are arranged so that the tips of the second extended portions face each other along the width direction Y. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B are provided with a wall portion for abutting at one end on the mating direction X side. When connecting two male connectors 30A, the tips of the pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B of the mating male connector 30A abut against this wall portion. A pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B are provided with a locking claw 321B between them, which is locked by a locking arm 331B described later. As shown in Figure 5, the locking claw 321B is a claw formed to protrude from one side of the housing 31a along the height direction Z.

[0021] The pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B are L-shaped projections when viewed from the mating direction X. The pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B are formed protruding from the other side of the housing 31a along the height direction Z, extending along the mating direction X, and arranged side by side along the width direction Y. The locking rib 33B has a first extended portion that extends along the height direction Z, and a second extended portion that extends along the width direction Y from the tip of the first extended portion. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B are provided with the tips of the second extended portions facing opposite directions along the width direction Y. The pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B are provided with abutting walls at the other end in the mating direction X. When connecting two male connectors 30A, the tips of the pair of L-shaped ribs 32B, 32B of the mating male connector 30A abut against these walls. A pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B have a locking arm 331B. The locking arm 331B is an elastically deformable arm provided on the other side of the housing 31a in the height direction Z. The locking arm 331B is provided between the pair of locking ribs 33B, 33B and extends along the fitting direction X. The tip and base of the locking arm 331B in the fitting direction X are fixed to the housing 31a, and the intermediate portion between the tip and base is elastically deformable. The locking arm 331B has a claw formed in this intermediate portion that engages with the locking claw 321B.

[0022] As described above, the male connectors 30A can be connected to each other, as shown in Figure 5. For example, a worker can connect two male connectors 30A by inserting a pair of connector interference parts 33A, 33A through a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A along the mating direction X to the abutting wall, and then engaging the locking arm 331A with the locking claw 321A. At this time, the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A allow the pair of connector interference parts 33A, 33A to be inserted inward and guide the pair of connector interference parts 33A, 33A along the mating direction X. One example of a situation in which two male connectors 30A may be connected is when it is difficult to provide a housing box 40 for housing the male connectors 30A, in which case the wiring can be routed with the male connectors 30A connected in this manner.

[0023] The housing box 40 houses the male connector 30A. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing box 40 has a box body 40A. The box body 40A houses the mating connector 30, the electronic component 20, and a portion of the wiring material connected to the electronic component 20. The box body 40A is formed in a box shape from an insulating synthetic resin or the like. The box body 40A has openings on the upper and lower sides, with the upper opening being closed by an upper cover and the lower opening being closed by a lower cover. In Figures 1 and 2, the box body 40A is shown with the upper and lower sides open. The box body 40A has multiple compartments inside, including a connector housing section 41 for housing the male connector 30A and an electronic component housing section for housing the electronic component 20.

[0024] As shown in Figure 6, the connector housing portion 41 includes a housing portion interference rib 411, positioning ribs 412A and 412B, crushing ribs 413A and 413B, a locking arm 414, and a contact portion 415.

[0025] The contact portion 415 is the portion that the tip of the male connector 30A in the mating direction X contacts when the male connector 30A is mated into the connector housing portion 41.

[0026] The locking arm 414 locks the male connector 30A to the connector housing 41 when the male connector 30A is in contact with the contact portion 415.

[0027] The position-defining rib 412A defines the position of the male connector 30A in the width direction Y. The position-defining rib 412A protrudes from the other side of the connector housing 41 in the width direction Y and contacts the male connector 30A housed in the connector housing 41 from the width direction Y. Multiple position-defining ribs 412A are provided, extending along the mating direction X and positioned side by side along the height direction Z. The contact surface of the position-defining rib 412A that contacts the male connector 30A is formed in a shape that is resistant to deformation, such as a flat or curved surface.

[0028] The position-defining rib 412B defines the position of the male connector 30A in the height direction Z. The position-defining rib 412B protrudes from the other side of the connector housing 41 in the height direction Z and contacts the male connector 30A housed in the connector housing 41 from the height direction Z. Multiple position-defining ribs 412B are provided, extending along the mating direction X and positioned side by side along the width direction Y. The contact surface of the position-defining rib 412B that contacts the male connector 30A is formed in a shape that is resistant to deformation, such as a flat or curved surface.

[0029] The crimping rib 413A is designed to suppress rattling of the male connector 30A. The crimping rib 413A protrudes from one side in the width direction Y of the connector housing 41, the same side as the housing interference rib 411. That is, the crimping rib 413A is provided on the wall surface of the connector housing 41, the same side as the housing interference rib 411. Multiple crimping ribs 413A are provided, extending along the mating direction X and positioned side by side along the height direction Z. The contact portion of the crimping rib 413A that abuts against the male connector 30A is formed in a deformable shape, such as a triangular shape. The crimping rib 413A is crimped by the male connector 30A housed in the connector housing 41.

[0030] The crimping rib 413B is designed to suppress rattling of the male connector 30A. The crimping rib 413B protrudes from the other side of the connector housing 41 in the height direction Z. Multiple crimping ribs 413B are provided, extending along the mating direction X and positioned side by side along the width direction Y. The contact portion of the crimping rib 413B that abuts against the male connector 30A is formed in a deformable shape such as a triangular shape. The crimping rib 413B is crimped by the male connector 30A housed in the connector housing 41.

[0031] The housing interference rib 411 interferes with the tip 322 of the pair of connector interference parts 33A, 33A when the male connector 30A is incorrectly mated to the connector housing part 41 in an improper mating position. The housing interference rib 411 is formed protruding from one side in the width direction Y of the connector housing part 41 and extends along the mating direction X. Here, the normal mating position is the position of the male connector 30A when it is desired to be mated to the connector housing part 41 in the correct position, and is the position in which the L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are located on the housing interference rib 411 side. In other words, the normal mating position is the position in which the housing interference rib 411 and the L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are located on one side in the width direction Y. That is, the normal mating position is the position in which the housing interference rib 411 and the L-shaped ribs 32A, 32A are located side by side along the width direction Y. An incorrect mating position is the position of the male connector 30A when it is to be mated to the connector housing 41 in an incorrect position, in which the connector interference parts 33A, 33A are located on the side of the housing interference rib 411. In other words, an incorrect mating position is the position in which the housing interference rib 411 and the connector interference parts 33A, 33A are located on one side in the width direction Y. That is, an incorrect mating position is the position in which the housing interference rib 411 and the connector interference parts 33A, 33A are located side by side along the width direction Y.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the normal mating position, the housing interference rib 411 is located between a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A. Typically, when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the normal mating position, the housing interference rib 411 is located in the center between the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the incorrect mating position, the housing interference rib 411 interferes with the tip 332 of the pair of connector interference parts 33A, 33A. That is, when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the incorrect mating position, the housing interference rib 411 overlaps with the tip 332 of the pair of connector interference parts 33A, 33A, and thereby interferes with the tip 332.

[0033] As described above, the electrical connection box 1 according to the embodiment comprises a male connector 30A and a connector housing 41. The male connector 30A has terminals and a housing 31a that houses the terminals, and is mated with the female connector 30B along the mating direction X. The connector housing 41 houses the male connector 30A. The male connector 30A has a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A and a connector interference portion 33A. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A protrude from one side of the housing 31a along the width direction Y intersecting the mating direction X and are capable of engaging with an object. The connector interference portion 33A protrudes from the other side of the housing 31a in the width direction Y. The connector housing 41 has a housing interference rib 411 that protrudes from one side of the connector housing 41 in the width direction Y. Furthermore, when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the normal mating position with the L-shaped rib 32A positioned towards the housing interference rib 411, the housing interference rib 411 is positioned between the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A. When the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the incorrect mating position with the connector interference portion 33A positioned towards the housing interference rib 411, the housing interference rib 411 interferes with the connector interference portion 33A. With this configuration, the electrical junction box 1 can properly implement a configuration that prevents the male connector 30A from being fitted into the connector housing 41 in the incorrect mating position by using a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A that also serve the function of engaging with the object.

[0034] In the electrical junction box 1 described above, the connector interference portion 33A and a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A extend along the mating direction X. The connector interference portion 33A has a locking arm 331A. The housing 31a has a locking claw 321A between the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A that locks onto the locking arm 331A. The pair of L-shaped ribs 32A guide the connector interference portion 33A along the mating direction X when connecting two male connectors 30A. The locking arm 331A locks onto the locking claw 321A while the connector interference portion 33A is guided by the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A. With this configuration, the electrical junction box 1 can connect two male connectors 30A using the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A.

[0035] In the electrical junction box 1 described above, the connector housing section 41 has a position-defining rib 412A and a crushing rib 413A. The position-defining rib 412A protrudes from the other side in the width direction Y of the connector housing section 41 and abuts against the male connector 30A. The crushing rib 413A protrudes from one side in the width direction Y of the connector housing section 41 and is crushed by the male connector 30A. The connector housing section 41 suppresses rattling of the male connector 30A when the position-defining rib 412A abuts against the male connector 30A and the crushing rib 413A is crushed, and ensures an overlap amount between the housing section interference rib 411 and the connector interference section 33A when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing section 41 in an improper mating position. With this configuration, when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in an improper mating position, the electrical junction box 1 can reliably cause the housing interference rib 411 and the connector interference portion 33A to interfere with each other.

[0036] In the electrical junction box 1 described above, the housing interference rib 411 is located in the center between a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the normal mating position. With this configuration, the electrical junction box 1 can suppress interference between the pair of L-shaped ribs 32A and the housing interference rib 411 even if the position of the male connector 30A shifts when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the normal mating position.

[0037] In the above explanation, the example of connecting two male connectors 30A with a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A is described, but the explanation is not limited to this, and the object to be engaged may be something other than the male connector 30A.

[0038] Although an example has been described in which the connector housing 41 has position-defining ribs 412A and crushing ribs 413A, the example is not limited to this, and it is not necessary to have such position-defining ribs 412A and crushing ribs 413A.

[0039] In the example described, the housing interference rib 411 is located in the center between a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A when the male connector 30A is fitted into the connector housing 41 in the normal mating position. However, the explanation is not limited to this, and it does not have to be located in the center between a pair of L-shaped ribs 32A.

[0040] As shown in Figure 9, the mating connector 30 can also be connected along the height direction Z by a pair of L-shaped ribs 32B and locking ribs 33B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. Electrical junction box 30A Male Connector (Connector) 30B Female connector (mutual connector) 31a Housing 32A Pair of L-shaped ribs 321A Locking claw 33A Connector interference area 41 Connector housing 411 Interference ribs in the housing section 412A Positioning rib 413A Crushed Rib 414 Locking arm X Mating direction Y width direction

Claims

1. A connector having terminals and a housing that accommodates the terminals, which mates with a mating connector along the mating direction, It comprises a connector housing section for housing the aforementioned connector, The connector has a pair of L-shaped ribs that protrude from one side of the housing along the width direction intersecting the mating direction and are capable of engaging with an object, and a connector interference portion that protrudes from the other side of the housing in the width direction. The connector housing portion has a housing portion interference rib protruding from one side in the width direction of the connector housing portion, and when the connector is fitted into the connector housing portion in a normal mating position where the L-shaped rib is positioned on the housing portion interference rib side, the housing portion interference rib is positioned between the pair of L-shaped ribs, and when the connector is fitted into the connector housing portion in an improper mating position where the connector interference portion is positioned on the housing portion interference rib side, the housing portion interference rib interferes with the connector interference portion.

2. The connector interference portion and the pair of L-shaped ribs extend along the mating direction, The connector interference portion has a locking arm, The housing has a locking claw between the pair of L-shaped ribs that locks onto the locking arm, The pair of L-shaped ribs guide the connector interference portion along the mating direction when the connectors are connected to each other. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the locking arm is locked to the locking claw while the connector interference portion is guided by the pair of L-shaped ribs.

3. The connector housing portion has a position-defining rib that protrudes from the other side of the connector housing portion in the width direction and abuts against the connector, and a crushing rib that protrudes from the one side of the connector housing portion in the width direction and is crushed by the connector, wherein the crushing rib is crushed when the position-defining rib abuts against the connector, thereby suppressing rattling of the connector, and ensuring an overlap amount between the housing portion interference rib and the connector interference portion when the connector is fitted into the connector housing portion in the incorrect mating position.

4. The electrical connection box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing interference rib is located in the center between the pair of L-shaped ribs when the connector is fitted into the connector housing in the normal mating position.

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