Electrical junction box

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrical junction box which: eliminates the need for redesigning a protection cover and a lock part even when the insertion direction of an external conduction member that is to be connected to a terminal part is different; and can reduce the manufacturing cost by reduction in the product number of the protection cover.　An electrical junction box 10 comprises: a case 16; a terminal part 12 to which an external conductive member 14 is to be connected; and a protective cover 20 that is rotatable between an open position O for exposing an opening part 18 and a closed position C for covering the opening part 18. The protective cover 20 has a plurality of lock parts 86 provided at a plurality of places. The case 16 has: a conductive member insertion part 40 that is provided at a location where at least one of the plurality of lock parts 86 in the protective cover 20 at the closed position C is disposed; and lock-target parts 48, 138, 140 that are provided at a location where at least another one of the plurality of lock parts 86 is disposed and that are to be engaged with the lock parts 86. The protective cover 20 is held at the closed position C through engagement of the lock parts 86 with the lock-target parts 48, 138, 140.

Description

Electrical junction box

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical junction box to be mounted on a vehicle, which includes terminals exposed at an opening of the case to which external conductive members are connected, and a protective cover that covers the terminals. During vehicle maintenance, the terminals exposed outside the case of the electrical junction box may become live, so providing a protective cover that covers the terminals ensures safety during work. Moreover, the electrical junction box of Patent Document 1 includes a mechanism in which the protective cover has a locking portion that engages with a locking portion provided around the opening of the case to keep the protective cover in a closed state. This reliably prevents the terminals from being exposed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-71368

[0004] However, in the electrical junction box disclosed in Patent Document 1, an external conductive member connected to a terminal portion is placed over the terminal portion through a conductive member insertion portion provided on the side not provided with a locking portion or a locked portion. Therefore, if the insertion direction of the conductive member placed over the terminal portion differs depending on the electrical junction box, it is necessary to redesign the protective cover and locking portion for each individual electrical junction box so that they correspond to the locked portion and conductive member insertion portion on the case side. Moreover, since a separate protective cover is required for each electrical junction box, the number of protective cover product numbers increases, making management complicated.

[0005] Therefore, we disclose an electrical connection box that does not require redesign of the protective cover or locking section even if the insertion direction of the external conductive member connected to the terminal section is different, and that can also reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the number of protective cover product numbers.

[0006] The electrical connection box of the present disclosure comprises a case, terminal portions that are exposed from an opening in the case and to which an external conductive member is connected, and a protective cover that is held by the case so as to be rotatable between an open position in which it is spaced apart from the opening to expose the opening, and a closed position in which it is placed over the opening and covers it, the protective cover having a plurality of locking portions provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart circumferentially, the case having a conductive member insertion portion provided at a position where at least one of the plurality of locking portions of the protective cover is located in the closed position, and a locked portion that is provided at a position where at least one other of the plurality of locking portions is located and with which the locking portion engages, and the protective cover is held in the closed position by the locking portion engaging with the locked portion.

[0007] According to the electrical connection box of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrical connection box with excellent versatility, which does not require redesign of the protective cover or locking portion even if the insertion direction of the external conductive member connected to the terminal portion is different.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical junction box according to a first embodiment, with protective covers in a closed position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 1, with protective covers in an open position. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 1 where an external conductive member is laterally superimposed on terminal portions. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 3, showing a state in which protective covers are in an open position in an initial state. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 6, from another direction. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 6, with an external conductive member laterally connected to terminal portions in the main portion. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective cover in a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in Fig. 10 is in the middle of being rotated from an open position to a closed position, and shows a state in which an engaging protrusion is elastically deformed by an engaging wall portion. Fig. 12 is a front view of the main portion of the electrical junction box shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective cover in a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in Fig. 3 has been rotated from the closed position toward the open position. Fig. 14 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box shown in Fig. 13 and corresponds to Fig. 5. Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a portion of the electrical junction box shown in Fig. 1 where an external conductive member is superimposed on a terminal portion from the front. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective cover in a main portion of the electrical junction box shown in Fig. 15 is in the closed position. Fig. 17 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main portion of the electrical junction box taken along the XVII-XVII cross section of Fig. 16.

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The electrical junction box of the present disclosure includes: (1) a case, terminals exposed through an opening of the case to which an external conductive member is connected, and a protective cover held by the case so as to be rotatable between an open position in which the protective cover is spaced apart from the opening to expose the opening, and a closed position in which the protective cover is placed over the opening to cover the opening, the protective cover having a plurality of locking portions provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction, the case having a conductive member insertion portion provided in a position where at least one of the locking portions of the protective cover is located in the closed position, and a locked portion provided in a position where at least one other of the locking portions is located and with which the locking portion is engaged, the protective cover being held in the closed position by the locking portion engaging with the locked portion.

[0010] According to the electrical junction box of this aspect, a protective cover covering an opening of a case through which terminals are exposed has a plurality of locking portions provided at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations. The case has a conductive member insertion portion provided at a location where at least one locking portion is located on the protective cover when the protective cover is in the closed position, and a locked portion provided at a location where at least one other locking portion is located. In other words, by having a plurality of locking portions provided at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations on the protective cover, it is possible to engage a locking portion of a protective cover located at a location where a conductive member insertion portion is located on a case in one electrical junction box with a locked portion of a case in another electrical junction box. Therefore, even if the locations of the locked portions and the conductive member insertion portions on the cases of electrical junction boxes are different, the protective cover to be assembled to the case can be standardized, eliminating the need to redesign the protective cover and locking portion. Furthermore, reducing the product number of the protective cover facilitates management and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0011] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the protective cover has an upper wall portion that is rectangular in plan view and a peripheral wall that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the upper wall portion toward the opening, the peripheral wall including a front wall portion and a rear wall portion that are arranged opposite each other in the front-to-back direction, and a left wall portion and a right wall portion that are arranged opposite each other in the left-to-right direction, a rotating shaft protruding from the rear wall portion and being held by a bearing that protrudes from the case, a first locking portion on the front wall portion side, a second locking portion on the left wall portion side, and a third locking portion on the right wall portion side, and the multiple locking portions include the first locking portion, the second locking portion, and the third locking portion.

[0012] The protective cover has a rectangular top wall portion in a plan view and front, rear, and left / right wall portions that protrude from the periphery of the top wall portion toward the opening, thereby advantageously ensuring the rigidity of the protective cover. Furthermore, a rotating shaft protrudes from the rear wall portion that constitutes the peripheral wall portion of the protective cover and is held by a bearing on the case, allowing the protective cover to be rotatably assembled to the case. Additionally, the remaining peripheral wall portions of the protective cover, namely the front wall side, left wall side, and right wall side, can be provided with a first locking portion, a second locking portion, and a third locking portion that constitute multiple locking portions arranged in different orientations. This advantageously allows the protective cover to be assembled even when the insertion direction of the conductive member into the opening of the case is different.

[0013] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable to have an open position locking mechanism that detachably holds the protective cover in the open position. This is because the open position locking mechanism can stably hold the protective cover in the open position that exposes the opening in the initial state, thereby improving the ease of assembly when mounting the electrical junction box on a vehicle.

[0014] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the protective cover is provided with an engaging protrusion provided on one of the case and the protective cover, and an engaging wall portion provided on the other of the case and the protective cover, and the protective cover is initially positioned in the open position where it is separated from the opening to expose the opening, and the protective cover is allowed to rotate from the open position to the closed position where it is superimposed on the opening to cover the opening by the engaging protrusion elastically deforming and climbing over the engaging wall portion, and the engaging protrusion, which has climbed over the engaging wall portion and elastically returned to its original position, abuts against the engaging wall portion, limiting the rotation range of the protective cover toward the open position to a range where the protective cover rotates to the closed position due to its own weight.

[0015] The protective cover, which covers the opening of the case where the terminals are exposed, is initially positioned in an open position that exposes the opening. Therefore, during assembly into a vehicle, a large working space is ensured, allowing for easy connection of an external conductive member, such as a wire harness, to the terminals. After the connection of the external conductive member to the terminals is completed, the protective cover is rotated toward a closed position that covers the opening. The engaging protrusions on one of the case and the protective cover elastically deform to overcome an engaging wall on the other, thereby covering the opening. When the protective cover is subsequently opened during vehicle maintenance or other such operations, the engaging protrusions, having overcome the engaging wall and elastically returned to their original position, abut against the engaging wall, limiting the range of rotation of the protective cover toward the open position to a range in which the protective cover would rotate to the closed position under its own weight. This ensures that a protective cover rotated toward the open position for maintenance or other operations will always rotate toward the closed position under its own weight after the operation, thereby reliably preventing the protective cover from being left unclosed. The electrical connection box according to the present invention has a structure in which the terminals are not exposed to the outside world, and the terminals are not exposed to the outside world due to the external force of the electrical connection box.

[0016] (5) In the above (4), it is preferable that the rotating shaft of the protective cover is held by a bearing provided in the case, and a gap is provided between the rotating shaft and the bearing. Since the rotating shaft of the protective cover is held by a bearing on the case side across a gap, friction between the rotating shaft and the bearing when the protective cover rotates is suppressed. As a result, when the worker releases the protective cover after use, it automatically moves to the closed position, making it even more reliable to prevent the protective cover from being left closed.

[0017] (6) In any one of (1) to (5) above, it is preferable that the protective cover abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral wall of the opening when the protective cover is in the closed position. In the closed position, the protective cover abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral wall of the opening where the terminals are exposed, thereby more effectively preventing exposure of the terminals, which may become live parts during maintenance work. This more effectively prevents or reduces the risk of electric shock to workers and improves work safety.

[0018] <Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> Specific examples of the electrical junction box of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0019] First Embodiment An electrical junction box 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17 . The electrical junction box 10 is mounted inside a battery pack in, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and is connected to an external conductive member. In the first embodiment, the electrical junction box 10 includes a plurality of terminals 12, and a bus bar 14, an example of a conductive member, is connected to each of the terminals 12. In particular, in the first embodiment, the electrical junction box 10 includes both a portion (main portion A) where the bus bar 14 is connected to the terminals 12 by overlapping it from the side, and a portion (main portion B) where the bus bar 14 is connected to the terminals 12 by overlapping it from the front. Note that the electrical junction box 10 can be positioned in any orientation within a vehicle. However, in the following description of FIGS. 3 to 14 , the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 5 , the lower side will be referred to as the lower side in FIG. 5 , the left side will be referred to as the lower side in FIG. 4 , the right side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 4 , the front side will be referred to as the right side in FIG. 4 , and the rear side will be referred to as the left side in FIG. 4 . 15 to 17, the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-rear direction will be described as the directions shown in the drawings. Furthermore, when multiple identical members are shown, only some of the members may be given reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other members.

[0020] <Electrical junction box 10> As a structure common to each of the main parts A and B of the electrical junction box 10, the electrical junction box 10 includes a case 16 and terminal portions 12 exposed from an upper opening 18 serving as an opening of the case 16 and to which an external conductive member (bus bar 14) is connected. The electrical junction box 10 also includes a protective cover 20 held by the case 16 so as to be rotatable between an open position O (see FIG. 2, etc.) in which the protective cover 20 is separated from the upper opening 18 to expose the upper opening 18, and a closed position C (see FIG. 1, etc.) in which the protective cover 20 is overlapped with the upper opening 18 to cover it. In the first embodiment, a bolt insertion hole 22 is formed in the bus bar 14 at a portion overlapping the terminal portion 12.

[0021] <Case 16> The case 16 that constitutes the electrical junction box 10 can be formed, for example, by assembling an upper case 24 and a lower case (not shown) in the vertical direction, but in the first embodiment, the characteristic parts are provided in the upper case 24, and the shape of the lower case is not limited, so a description of the lower case will be omitted. Furthermore, the shape of the upper case 24 shown in the figures is merely an example and is not limited, and in particular, Figures 3 to 17 illustrate the characteristic parts (main parts A and B) of the present disclosure.

[0022] <Main Part A> Below, main part A will be described first with reference to FIGS. 3 to 14 . In FIGS. 3 to 14 , the upper case 24 is shown as having a generally box-like shape that opens downward (having a lower opening 26) and is made of an insulating synthetic resin. The upper case 24 includes an upper bottom wall 28 that is generally rectangular in plan view and an upper peripheral wall 30 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the upper bottom wall 28. Specifically, the upper peripheral wall 30 includes four walls: a case front portion 32a located at the front, a case rear portion 32b located at the rear, and case left and right portions 32c and 32d located on both the left and right sides. The upper bottom wall 28 has a larger front-to-rear dimension than its left-to-right dimension.

[0023] Here, a storage space 36 is formed in the front portion of the internal space of the upper case 24 to accommodate the terminal portion 12 and a nut 34 to which a bolt 76 (described later) is fastened. This storage space 36 is generally rectangular in plan view and extends vertically through the upper case 24. That is, the storage space 36 is defined by an area surrounded by the case front portion 32a and the front portions of the case left portion 32c and case right portion 32d. A nut accommodating portion 38 is disposed in the storage space 36, and the nut 34 is assembled to this nut accommodating portion 38, thereby accommodating the nut 34 within the storage space 36. The nut accommodating portion 38 may be formed separately from the upper case 24, inserted into the storage space 36 from below through the lower opening 26, and fixedly attached to at least one wall of the case front portion 32a, case rear portion 32b, case left portion 32c, and case right portion 32d that constitute the storage space 36, for example, by a locking mechanism (not shown).

[0024] The upper bottom wall 28 has the aforementioned upper opening 18 formed in the front portion thereof, penetrating it in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and the storage space 36 opens upward through the upper opening 18. The upper opening 18 is generally rectangular in plan view, similar to the storage space 36. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the front portion of the case right portion 32d, which constitutes the storage space 36, is smaller than that of other portions (e.g., the rear portion), and a right opening 40 that opens to the right is formed at the top end of the storage space 36.

[0025] As will be described later, the terminal portion 12 is disposed above the nut 34 in the accommodation space 36, and this terminal portion 12 is exposed upward through the upper opening 18 and also exposed laterally (to the right) through the right opening 40. In the main portion A, the bus bar 14 is inserted into the accommodation space 36 from the side (right) to be disposed over the terminal portion 12, and therefore the right opening 40 forms a conductive member insertion portion in the case 16 (upper case 24) through which the conductive member (bus bar 14) is inserted. In particular, as will be described later, the protective cover 20 has a plurality of locking portions 86 provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the conductive member insertion portion (right opening 40) in the case 16 (upper case 24) is provided at a position corresponding to a location where at least one of the plurality of locking portions 86 is disposed. Specifically, in the main part A, the conductive member insertion portion (right opening 40) is provided on the right side of the peripheral wall 42, corresponding to the third locking portion 98 which forms multiple locking portions 86 and is provided on the right side of the protective cover 20 (right wall portion 82d).

[0026] Therefore, the peripheral wall 42 that defines the upper opening 18 at the upper end of the storage space 36 is composed of three walls excluding the right. In other words, the peripheral wall 42 includes an upper portion of the case front portion 32a, an upper portion of the front portion of the case left portion 32c, and an intermediate wall portion 44 located behind the upper opening 18 (i.e., the middle portion of the upper case 24 in the front-to-rear direction). This intermediate wall portion 44 is formed over the entire length in the left-to-right direction at the top end of the case 16 (upper case 24), and the right end of the intermediate wall portion 44 is connected to the case right portion 32d, and the right end of this intermediate wall portion 44 defines the right opening 40. The upper surfaces 46 of the peripheral wall 42 configured in this manner are located at approximately the same vertical position and on the same plane that extends horizontally (orthogonal to the vertical direction).

[0027] The upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 is located lower than the upper surface of the upper bottom wall portion 28 in a portion of the upper case 24 where the storage space 36 is not provided (for example, the rear portion). This prevents the vertical dimension of the front portion of the main part A from becoming too large when the protective cover 20 rotates from the open position O to the closed position C and abuts against the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42, as will be described later.

[0028] <Locked Portion (First Locked Portion 48)> The upper case 24 also has a locked portion that engages with a locking portion 86 at a position corresponding to a location where a locking portion 86 different from the locking portion 86 provided at a position corresponding to the conductive member insertion portion (right opening 40) is located among the multiple locking portions 86 of the protective cover 20. In the main portion A, a first locked portion 48 is provided in the front portion of the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 (i.e., the upper surface of the case front portion 32a) as a locked portion that constitutes an A-side locking mechanism 94, which will be described later. This first locked portion 48 is provided in the left-right central portion of the upper surface of the case front portion 32a and protrudes upward. A locked claw 50 that protrudes rearward is provided at the protruding tip (upper end) of the first locked portion 48. Specifically, in the main part A, the first locked portion 48 is provided in front of the peripheral wall 42, corresponding to the first locking portion 88 which constitutes the plurality of locking portions 86 described later and is provided in front of the protective cover 20 (toward the front wall portion 82a).

[0029] <Bearings 52> A pair of bearings 52 are integrally formed on both the left and right sides of the upper bottom wall 28 of the upper case 24, rearward of the intermediate wall 44, to hold the rotating shafts 116 (described later) of the protective cover 20. Each bearing 52 is generally plate-shaped with a predetermined thickness (left-right dimension) and protrudes upward from the upper bottom wall 28. A circular insertion hole 54 is formed at the upper end of each bearing 52, penetrating it in the thickness direction. In particular, a notch 56 is formed on the inner surface (inner surface in the left-right direction) of each bearing 52, opening upward and communicating with each insertion hole 54. This facilitates insertion of each rotating shaft 116 into each insertion hole 54 through each notch 56. An inclined surface is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end of each bearing 52, where each notch 56 is formed, and this inclined surface forms a guide surface 58 that guides the insertion of each rotating shaft 116.

[0030] <Engagement Wall 60> Furthermore, between the opposing bearings 52 in the left-right direction, an engagement wall 60 is provided in the left-right central portion of the upper bottom wall 28, which engages with an engagement protrusion 122 (described later) on the protective cover 20. As shown in Figures 5 and 12, the engagement wall 60 is a generally plate-shaped portion that protrudes upward with a predetermined protrusion dimension. The engagement wall 60 has a generally hexagonal shape when viewed from the front as shown in Figure 12, and its rear end surface is an inclined surface 62 that gradually slopes upward toward the tip. Furthermore, both left and right end surfaces of the engagement wall 60 are flat surfaces 64, 64 that extend vertically, and the upper ends of each flat surface 64 are connected to inclined surfaces 66, 66 that gradually slope inward in the left-right direction as they extend upward. When the protective cover 20 shown in Figures 6 to 8 is in the open position O, the inclined surfaces 128 of each engaging protrusion 122 described later are located above each inclined surface 66, and each inclined surface 66 of the engaging wall portion 60 and the inclined surface 128 of each engaging protrusion 122 face each other at an angle and with a slight gap between them.

[0031] Further, on both left and right sides of the upper bottom wall 28, behind the bearings 52, there are provided open position locking portions 68 that constitute an open position locking mechanism 112, which will be described later. Each of these open position locking portions 68 protrudes upward, and a locking claw 70 that protrudes inward in the left and right direction is provided at the protruding tip (upper end) of each open position locking portion 68.

[0032] <Terminal Portion 12> Bus bars 72 constituting the terminal portion 12 are housed inside the upper case 24 in the main portion A, and two bus bars 72 (a first bus bar 72a and a second bus bar 72b) are provided in the main portion A. Each of these bus bars 72a, 72b extends in the front-to-rear direction within the upper case 24 as a whole and is formed, for example, by bending a conductive metal sheet into a predetermined shape. The front ends of these bus bars 72a, 72b are overlapped with each other in the vertical direction and positioned within the storage space 36 of the upper case 24, and are opposed to each other at a predetermined distance behind the storage space 36. The bus bar 72 positioned above the storage space 36 is the first bus bar 72a, and the bus bar 72 overlapped below the first bus bar 72a is the second bus bar 72b. As shown in Figure 9, the rear portions of these bus bars 72a, 72b are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction in the right part of the internal space of the upper case 24, and these bus bars 72a, 72b are exposed from the rear case part 32b of the upper case 24 while being spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0033] Here, the front ends of the bus bars 72 a, 72 b are overlapped with each other to form the terminal portion 12 that is placed within the accommodation space 36. Bolt insertion holes 74, 74 are formed in the front ends of the bus bars 72 a, 72 b, respectively, and the bus bars 72 a, 72 b are overlapped such that the bolt insertion holes 74 communicate with each other in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the terminal portion 12 is overlapped on the upper surface of the nut 34 so that the bolt insertion holes 74 of the bus bars 72 a, 72 b are aligned with the inner holes of the nut 34 that are accommodated within the accommodation space 36.

[0034] When the terminal portion 12 and the bus bar 14 are electrically connected, one end of the bus bar 14 is placed over the terminal portion 12 through the upper opening 18 or the right opening 40, and the bolt insertion holes 22, 74, 74 are aligned with the inner holes of the nuts 34. The terminal portion 12 and the bus bar 14 are electrically connected by inserting bolts 76 into the bolt insertion holes 22, 74, 74 and fastening them to the nuts 34. For example, power input through the bus bar 14 can be output in two mutually different directions from the rear end of the main portion A (upper case 24) via the bus bars 72a, 72b.

[0035] 3 to 5 , when the protective cover 20 is in a closed position C where the protective cover 20 is placed over the upper opening 18 and covers the upper opening 18, the protective cover 20 has a generally box-like shape that opens downward as a whole, and includes an upper wall portion 78 and a peripheral wall 80 that protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the upper wall portion 78 toward the upper opening 18. The upper wall portion 78 is generally rectangular in plan view, and is formed to have approximately the same size as the peripheral wall 42 in the front portion of the upper case 24. The peripheral wall 80 also includes a front wall portion 82a and a rear wall portion 82b that are arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction, and a left wall portion 82c and a right wall portion 82d that are arranged opposite each other in the left-to-right direction.

[0036] 3 to 5, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the upper opening 18 provided in the front of the upper case 24 is covered from above by the protective cover 20. In the main portion A, the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 that constitutes the upper opening 18 is located on the same plane, so when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the protective cover 20 abuts against substantially the entire surface of the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42. Furthermore, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, an accommodating recess 84 for accommodating the head of the bolt 76 is formed in the left-right central portion of the upper wall portion 78, with the recessed shape opening downward.

[0037] <Multiple Locking Portions 86 (First Locking Portion 88, Second Locking Portion 96, and Third Locking Portion 98)> The protective cover 20 has multiple locking portions 86 provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Specifically, a first locking portion 88 constituting the multiple locking portions 86 is provided in the left-right central portion of the protective cover 20, forward of the accommodating recess 84 of the protective cover 20. In the first embodiment, the first locking portion 88 protrudes upward from the upper wall portion 78 and then bends downward, protruding downward beyond the upper wall portion 78 through a through hole 90 provided in the front end portion of the upper wall portion 78. This allows the first locking portion 88 to be elastically deformable in the front-rear direction within the through hole 90, and a locking claw 92 protruding forward is provided at the lower end of the first locking portion 88. Therefore, the first locking portion 88 is provided on the front wall portion 82a side of the peripheral wall 80 of the protective cover 20. As a result, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the locking claw 92 of the first locking portion 88 engages with the locking claw 50 of the first locked portion 48, thereby holding the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. As a result, in the main part A, an A-side locking mechanism 94 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the closed position C is formed by the first locked portion 48 and the first locking portion 88, particularly the locking claw 50 and the locking claw 92.

[0038] Furthermore, a second locking portion 96 constituting the plurality of locking portions 86 is provided on the left wall portion 82c side of the peripheral wall 80 of the protective cover 20, and a third locking portion 98 constituting the plurality of locking portions 86 is provided on the right wall portion 82d side. In the first embodiment, the second locking portion 96 is provided on the left wall portion 82c, and the third locking portion 98 is provided on the right wall portion 82d. These second and third locking portions 96, 98 protrude outward in the left-right direction from the outer peripheral surfaces of the left wall portion 82c and the right wall portion 82d. Note that these second and third locking portions 96, 98 do not perform any special function when the bus bar 14 is overlapped from the side (right) as in main portion A. Recesses 100 that open outward in the left-right direction are formed in the middle portions of the outer peripheral surfaces of the left wall portion 82c and the right wall portion 82d in the front-rear direction, and the second and third locking portions 96, 98 protrude from the bottom surfaces of the recesses 100. This keeps the outward protrusion dimension of the second and third locking portions 96, 98 small, and in embodiment 1, the second and third locking portions 96, 98 do not protrude outward in the left-right direction beyond the outer peripheral surfaces of the left wall portion 82c and the right wall portion 82d.

[0039] An operating portion 102 that can be operated by an operator with his / her fingers is formed in the center in the left-right direction of the front wall portion 82a of the protective cover 20. Meanwhile, operating portions 104, 104 that can be operated by an operator with his / her fingers when the bus bar 14 is overlapped from the front as in main portion B described below are formed in the front end portions of the outer peripheral surfaces of the left wall portion 82c and the right wall portion 82d of the protective cover 20. These operating portions 104 do not perform any special function when the bus bar 14 is overlapped from the side (right) as in main portion A.

[0040] <Open Position Locking Mechanism 112> As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, a thick portion 106 is provided at the rear end of the upper wall portion 78, extending rearward from the storage recess 84 and thickened in the vertical direction. This thick portion 106 also extends from the rear wall portion 82b of the peripheral wall 80. The thick portion 106 has a larger left-right dimension than the storage recess 84, and both left and right ends of the thick portion 106 are located on both left and right sides of the upper wall portion 78. Open position locking portions 108 are formed at both left and right ends of the thick portion 106, protruding downward and elastically deformable in the horizontal direction. A locking claw 110 protruding outward in the horizontal direction is provided at the vertical middle portion of each open position locking portion 108. 6 to 9 , when the protective cover 20 is in the open position O, the locking claw 110 of the open position locking portion 108 engages with the locking claw 70 of the open position locking portion 68, thereby holding the protective cover 20 in the open position O. As a result, in the first embodiment, the open position locking mechanism 112 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the open position O is made up of the open position locking portion 68 and, in particular, the locking claw 70 and locking claw 110 of the open position locking portion 108.

[0041] <Rotating Shaft 116> When the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, elastic arms 114 protrude rearward from both left and right ends of the thick portion 106, and rotating shafts 116 protrude outward in the left and right direction from the protruding tip (rear end) of each elastic arm 114. That is, each rotating shaft 116 protrudes from the rear wall portion 82b of the peripheral wall 80 via the thick portion 106 and each elastic arm 114. Each elastic arm 114 is elastically deformable in the left and right direction, and when the protective cover 20 is assembled to the upper case 24, for example, each elastic arm 114 elastically deforms inward in the left and right direction, allowing each rotating shaft 116 to be inserted into the insertion hole 54 of each bearing 52. The protective cover 20 is assembled to the upper case 24 in the orientation shown in Figures 6 to 9. In the state shown in Figures 6 to 9, an inclined surface 118 is provided on the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of each rotating shaft 116, and the abutment of each inclined surface 118 and each bearing 52 makes it easier for each elastic arm portion 114 to elastically deform inward in the left-right direction.

[0042] The outer diameter of each rotating shaft 116 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of each insertion hole 54. When the rotating shafts 116 are inserted into the insertion holes 54, a slight gap 120 (see FIG. 5 ) is formed between each rotating shaft 116 and each insertion hole 54. This prevents the rotating shafts 116 from getting caught on the inner circumferential surface of the insertion holes 54 during rotation of the protective cover 20, allowing for smooth rotation. In particular, the formation of such gaps 120 makes the rotational force of the protective cover 20 to rotate to the closed position C due to its own weight greater than the resistance to the rotational force. As a result, during maintenance or other servicing, as described below, when an operator releases the protective cover 20 from its grip, the resistance that prevents the protective cover 20 from freely falling to the closed position C due to its own weight can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the released protective cover 20 can be quickly rotated toward the closed position C.

[0043] <Engagement protrusions 122> Furthermore, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, a pair of engagement protrusions 122, 122 are spaced apart in the left-right direction and protrude rearward inward of each elastic arm portion 114 on the thick portion 106. Each engagement protrusion 122 is configured to include an elastic support portion 124 that protrudes rearward from the thick portion 106, and an inward protrusion 126 that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the protruding tip end (rear end) of each elastic support portion 124. Each elastic support portion 124 is capable of elastic deformation in the left-right direction.

[0044] Each inward protrusion 126 has a predetermined shape and protrusion dimension and protrudes inward in the left-right direction from each elastic support portion 124. That is, when the protective cover 20 is in the open position O as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 , the lower end surface of each inward protrusion 126 is provided with an inclined surface 128 that gradually slopes upward inward in the left-right direction. As described above, when the protective cover 20 is in the open position O, each inclined surface 128 faces the inclined surface 66 of the engagement wall portion 60 at a slight angle. Furthermore, the protruding tip surface (the end surface on the inner side in the left-right direction) of each inward protrusion 126 is a vertical surface 130 that extends vertically and continues from the inclined surface 128. Furthermore, the upper end surface of each inward protrusion 126 is a flat surface 132 that extends in the front-rear direction and continues from the vertical surface 130. In the initial state shown in Figures 6 to 9, each inner protrusion 126 is located above the engaging wall portion 60 provided on the upper case 24, and is located at a position approximately equal to the engaging wall portion 60 in the front-to-rear direction, or slightly forward of the engaging wall portion 60.

[0045] <Main Part B> Next, main part B of the electrical junction box 10 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17. The basic structure of main part B is similar to that of main part A, but whereas in main part A, the bus bar 14, which is a conductive member, is superimposed on the terminal portion 12 from the side (right side) of the terminal portion 12, in main part B, the bus bar 14, which is a conductive member, is superimposed on the terminal portion 12 from the front of the terminal portion 12. In the following description, members and parts that are substantially the same as those in main part A are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figures as those in main part A, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] In the main portion B, the upper case 24 also has an upper opening 18 as an opening for exposing the terminal portions 12. Furthermore, in the main portion B, the bus bar 14 is placed over the upper case 24 from the front, and thus a front opening 136 is formed in the peripheral wall 134 of the upper opening 18. Therefore, in the main portion B, the front opening 136 constitutes a conductive member insertion portion that is provided in the upper case 24 and allows the conductive member (bus bar 14) to pass through the accommodating space 36. The peripheral wall 134 of the upper opening 18 includes an upper portion of the case left portion 32c, an upper portion of the case right portion 32d, and an intermediate wall portion 44 located behind the upper opening 18. Therefore, in the main portion B, the conductive member insertion portion (front opening 136) is provided in front of the peripheral wall 134 in correspondence with the first locking portion 88 that constitutes the multiple locking portions 86 and is provided in front of the protective cover 20 (toward the front wall portion 82a).

[0047] <Locked Portions (Second Locked Portion 138 and Third Locked Portion 140)> In main portion B, a second locked portion 138 as a locked portion that protrudes upward is provided at the upper end of case left portion 32 c, and a third locked portion 140 as a locked portion that protrudes upward is provided at the upper end of case right portion 32 d. A locked claw 142 that protrudes inward in the left-right direction is formed at the protruding tip end (upper end) of each of these second and third locked portions 138, 140.

[0048] As described above, the second locking portion 96 and the third locking portion 98 that protrude outward in the left-right direction are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the left wall portion 82c and the right wall portion 82d of the protective cover 20, respectively. Therefore, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the second locking portion 96 and the third locking portion 98 are engaged with the locking claws 142 of the second locked portion 138 and the third locked portion 140, respectively, thereby maintaining the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. As described above, in the main portion B, the second and third locked portions 138, 140 are provided on the left and right sides of the peripheral wall 134 in correspondence with the second and third locking portions 96, 98 that constitute the multiple locking portions 86 and are provided on the left (left wall portion 82c) and right (right wall portion 82d) of the protective cover 20. Therefore, in the main part B, the B-side locking mechanism 144, which holds the protective cover 20 in a detachable manner in the closed position C, is composed of the second locking portion 96 and the second locked portion 138, and the third locking portion 98 and the third locked portion 140, respectively.

[0049] <Assembly of Electrical Junction Box 10> A specific example of a method for assembling the electrical junction box 10 will be described below. Note that the method for assembling the electrical junction box 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical junction box 10 is configured by providing main parts A and B to a common upper case 24. However, since main parts A and B are basically assembled in the same manner, the assembly method for main part A will be described below.

[0050] First, the first and second bus bars 72a, 72b are inserted into the upper case 24 through the lower opening 26 of the upper case 24. Next, the nut accommodating portion 38 with the nut 34 attached thereto is inserted from below into the accommodating space 36 of the upper case 24 and fixed in place by a locking mechanism (not shown). This aligns the bolt insertion holes 74, 74 of the bus bars 72a, 72b with the inner holes of the nuts 34, and the nuts 34 are pressed against the second bus bar 72b from below, so that the first and second bus bars 72a, 72b are sandwiched between the upper bottom wall portion 28 of the upper case 24 and the nuts 34 in the vertical direction.

[0051] The protective cover 20 is then assembled to the upper case 24 from above. Specifically, the rotating shafts 116 are brought into contact with the bearings 52 of the upper case 24 from above with the inclined surfaces 118 of the rotating shafts 116 of the protective cover 20 positioned downward (the orientation shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 ). This brings the guide surfaces 58 on the inner surfaces of the bearings 52 into contact with the inclined surfaces 118 of the rotating shafts 116, elastically deforming the bearings 52 and / or the elastic arm portions 114. This allows the protective cover 20 to be pushed further downward, and when the rotating shafts 116 enter the insertion holes 54, the bearings 52 and / or the elastic arm portions 114 elastically return to their original state. The locking claws 110 of the open position locking portions 108 of the protective cover 20 are then engaged with the locking claws 70 of the open position locked portions 68 of the upper case 24. 6 to 9, in the initial state of the main part A, the protective cover 20 is held in the open position O. Similarly, in each main part B, the protective cover 20 is assembled to the upper case 24 and each protective cover 20 is held in the open position O. As a result, the electrical junction box 10 is completed, with each protective cover 20 held in the open position O in each of the main parts A and B, as shown in FIG.

[0052] <How to use the electrical connection box 10> The following describes how to use the electrical connection box 10. However, since each main part A and each main part B are basically used in the same way, the following describes how to use main part A.

[0053] In the initial state of the electrical junction box 10 manufactured as described above, the protective cover 20 is disposed in the open position O away from the upper opening 18, and the upper opening 18 and the terminals 12 are exposed to the outside. With the terminals 12 exposed to the outside in this manner, for example, a bus bar 14 having an end bent horizontally is placed on the terminals 12 through the upper opening 18 or the right opening 40, and the bolt insertion holes 74 are aligned with the bolt insertion holes 22 in the bus bar 14. Thereafter, bolts 76 are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 74, 22 and fastened to the nuts 34, thereby connecting the terminals 12 and the bus bar 14 as shown in FIG. 10 .

[0054] In this manner, when the terminals 12 and the bus bars 14 are connected, the connection portions become live parts, so it is preferable to cover the live parts with the protective cover 20 to prevent electric shock to the operator. Therefore, from the state in which the protective cover 20 is in the open position O shown in Figure 10, the protective cover 20 is rotated around each rotation shaft 116 toward the closed position C. The states of the protective cover 20 during its rotation are shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0055] In the electrical junction box 10 of the first embodiment, rotation of the protective cover 20 around the rotation shafts 116 first causes the inclined surfaces 128 on the inner protrusions 126 of the engaging protrusions 122 to abut against the inclined surfaces 66 on the engaging wall 60. Further rotation of the protective cover 20 with the inclined surfaces 128, 66 abutting against each other causes the elastic support portions 124 on the engaging protrusions 122 to elastically deform outward in the opposing direction (outward in the left-right direction) along the inclination of the inclined surfaces 128, 66. Rotation of the protective cover 20 while the inclined surfaces 128, 66 are in contact with each other causes the elastic support portions 124 to further elastically deform outward in the left-right direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12 , the vertical surfaces 130 on the inner protrusions 126 abut against the flat surfaces 64 on the engaging wall 60.

[0056] By further rotating the protective cover 20 while keeping the vertical surfaces 130 and the flat surfaces 64 in contact with each other, the inner protrusions 126 of the engaging protrusions 122 climb over the engaging wall portions 60. This causes the elastic support portions 124 to elastically restore their original shapes, and the engaging protrusions 122 return to their initial shapes. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5 , the inner protrusions 126 are located rearward of the engaging wall portions 60. The protective cover 20 is then further rotated toward the closed position C, causing the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 at the upper opening 18 to overlap with the protective cover 20. This positions the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. In other words, rotation from the open position O to the closed position C is permitted by the engaging protrusions 122 climbing over the engaging wall portions 60. Then, at the front end side of the upper case 24, the locking claw 92 of the first locking portion 88 is engaged with the locking claw 50 of the first locked portion 48, thereby holding the protective cover 20 in the closed position C as shown in Figures 3 to 5. In this state, the live parts are covered by the protective cover 20, preventing an operator from accidentally coming into contact with them and receiving an electric shock. At each main part B, the second locking portion 96 and the third locking portion 98 are engaged with the locking claws 142 of the second and third locked portions 138 and 140, respectively, thereby holding the protective cover 20 in the closed position C as shown in Figures 16 and 17.

[0057] During maintenance or other servicing, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the first locked portion 48 and the first locking portion 88 are disengaged, the protective cover 20 is displaced toward the open position O, the bolt 76 is released, and parts can be replaced or the like. That is, the protective cover 20, which is in the closed position C, is rotated toward the open position O about the rotation shafts 116. In the first embodiment, this rotation toward the open position O is limited by the abutment of the engaging protrusions 122 with the engaging wall portion 60. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14 , the flat surfaces 132 of the inward protrusions 126 of the engaging protrusions 122 abut against the left and right ends of the rear end surface (inclined surface 62) of the engaging wall portion 60, thereby limiting further rotation of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O. Here, it is preferable that the rotation region R of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O be limited to a range in which the protective cover 20 rotates toward the closed position C due to its own weight.

[0058] 13 and 14 show a state in which the protective cover 20 has been rotated to the open position O to the maximum, and the maximum central angle X (see FIG. 14 ) around each rotation axis 116 in the rotation range R of the protective cover 20 is preferably set in the range of 75°≦X<90° around each rotation axis 116, where 0° is the closed position C of the protective cover 20. As described above, the rotational displacement of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O is limited by the contact between the flat surfaces 132 of each inward protrusion 126 and the inclined surfaces 62 of the engagement wall portion 60. Therefore, the magnitude of the maximum central angle X around each rotation axis 116 in the rotation range R of the protective cover 20 can be set, for example, by the inclination angle of the inclined surfaces 62.

[0059] In this manner, when each engaging protrusion 122 overcomes the engaging wall portion 60, the angle of the protective cover 20 does not exceed 90° even when the protective cover 20 is fully opened, and the protective cover 20 can automatically rotate to the closed position C due to its own weight. In particular, a small gap 120 is formed between each rotating shaft 116 and the insertion hole 54 through which the rotating shaft 116 is inserted. Although the protective cover 20 needs to be maintained in the open state during servicing, the protective cover 20 can be automatically rotated to the closed position C quickly by releasing the open state. After the protective cover 20 reaches the closed position C, the first locking portion 88 is engaged with the first locked portion 48 to maintain the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. Note that the configuration for limiting the rotation range R of the protective cover 20 during servicing and automatically rotating the protective cover 20 to the closed position C after the servicing work is completed as described above may also be employed for each main portion B.

[0060] According to the electrical junction box 10 of the first embodiment having the above-described structure, the main portion A of the upper case 24 is provided with the right opening 40 as a conductive member insertion portion, and the main portion B is provided with the front opening 136 as a conductive member insertion portion. When the bus bar 14 is placed over the terminal portion 12 through the right opening 40 as in the main portion A, the first locking portion 88 engages with the first locked portion 48 provided in the front, thereby holding the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. When the bus bar 14 is placed over the terminal portion 12 through the front opening 136 as in the main portion B, the second and third locking portions 96, 98 engage with the second and third locked portions 138, 140 provided on both the left and right sides, thereby holding the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. With this configuration, the protective cover 20 of the same shape can be used regardless of whether the bus bar 14 is overlapped from the side or the front, and there is no need to manufacture separate protective covers for when the bus bar 14 is overlapped from the side and when it is overlapped from the front, making parts management easier and reducing costs.

[0061] In particular, the protective cover 20 has an upper wall portion 78 that is generally rectangular in plan view and a peripheral wall 80 that protrudes from the upper wall portion 78. This ensures stable rigidity of the protective cover 20. Furthermore, the rotation shafts 116 are provided on the rear side of the protective cover 20, and a first locking portion 88 is provided on the front side of the protective cover 20, and second and third locking portions 96, 98 are provided on both the left and right sides. In other words, the first locking portion 88, the second locking portion 96, and the third locking portion 98 can be provided on the relatively long front wall portion 82a, the left wall portion 82c, and the right wall portion 82d rather than on the four corners of the protective cover 20 that is generally rectangular in plan view, thereby enabling stable engagement of the locking portions 88, 96, and 98 with the locked portions 48, 138, and 140.

[0062] The electrical junction box 10 has an open position locking mechanism 112 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the open position O. This prevents the protective cover 20 in the open position O from being unintentionally displaced toward the closed position C.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the electrical junction box 10 of the first embodiment, the protective cover 20 is initially held in the open position O, which exposes the upper opening 18 and the terminals 12. This facilitates the task of overlapping and connecting the bus bars 14, which are external conductive members, to the terminals 12. When the protective cover 20 is pivoted from the open position O to the closed position C, the engaging protrusions 122 must elastically deform to overcome the engaging wall portions 60. This prevents the protective cover 20 from unintentionally moving from the open position O to the closed position C. When the terminals 12 and the bus bars 14 are connected, these connection portions become live parts. However, when the protective cover 20 is pivoted to the closed position C, the live parts are covered by the protective cover 20, reducing the risk of electric shock to the operator. Furthermore, once each engaging protrusion 122 overcomes the engaging wall portion 60, the protective cover 20 is then automatically and quickly displaced to the closed position C due to its own weight, which more reliably prevents the connection portion between the terminal portion 12, which has become an active part, and the bus bar 14 from being exposed to the outside and also reduces the burden on the worker.

[0064] Furthermore, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, it is necessary to displace the protective cover 20 toward the open position O during servicing, such as maintenance. However, the rotation region R of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O is limited to a range in which the protective cover 20 rotates to the closed position C due to its own weight by the abutment of the engaging protrusions 122 with the engaging wall portion 60. As a result, even when the protective cover 20 is opened during servicing, the protective cover 20 is automatically displaced to the closed position C by releasing the external force that keeps the protective cover 20 open after the work, preventing the protective cover 20 from being left closed. Furthermore, once the protective cover 20 is rotated from the initial state (open position O) and the engaging protrusions 122 climb over the engaging wall portion 60, the abutment of the engaging protrusions 122 with the engaging wall portion 60 limits the rotational displacement toward the open position O, making it difficult to restore the protective cover 20 to the initial state (open position O). Therefore, by checking whether the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C or the open position O, it is possible to easily determine whether the terminal portion 12 and the bus bar 14 are connected.

[0065] In particular, the structure for preventing the protective cover 20 from being left closed as described above does not use a hinge as in conventional structures, so there is no problem of the hinge being damaged when exposed to a low-temperature environment, for example, and the live parts can be covered with the protective cover 20 quickly and more reliably.

[0066] In the first embodiment, each rotating shaft 116 of the protective cover 20 is held by a corresponding bearing 52 provided in the upper case 24, and a gap 120 is provided between each rotating shaft 116 and each bearing 52. This makes the rotational force of the protective cover 20 rotating to the closed position C due to its own weight greater than the resistance force against the rotational force. As a result, the protective cover 20 can be automatically and quickly rotated to the closed position C when each engaging protrusion 122 overcomes the engaging wall portion 60. Note that this configuration can be achieved, for example, by setting the outer diameter of each rotating shaft 116 slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 54 in each bearing 52, thereby providing a gap 120 between each rotating shaft 116 and each insertion hole 54.

[0067] When the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the protective cover 20 abuts against an upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 of the upper opening 18. In particular, in the first embodiment, the upper surface 46 is located on the same plane over substantially the entirety, and substantially the entirety of the protective cover 20 abuts against the upper surface 46. This more reliably prevents unintentional contact with live parts (connection portions between the terminal parts 12 and the bus bars 14) through the upper opening 18.

[0068] For example, when opening the protective cover 20 during maintenance or other servicing, the rotation angle of the protective cover 20 is set so that the maximum central angle X around the central axis of each rotation shaft 116 is in the range of 75°≦X<90°. Setting the protective cover 20 to open at an angle of 75° or more allows for stable servicing. Furthermore, setting the protective cover 20 to open at an angle smaller than 90° allows the protective cover 20 to automatically move to the closed position C after servicing by releasing the external force in the opening direction of the protective cover 20.

[0069] <Modifications> Although the first embodiment has been described above in detail as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope that can achieve the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0070] (1) In the above embodiment, the main portion A where the bus bar 14 overlaps the terminal portion 12 from the side (right side) and the main portion B where the bus bar 14 overlaps the terminal portion 12 from the front are provided in the same case 16 (upper case 24), but this is not limited to this. That is, the electrical junction box including the main portion A and the electrical junction box including the main portion B may be separate. Also, in the above embodiment, the main portion A and the main portion B are provided in multiple locations in the electrical junction box 10, but the electrical junction box according to the present disclosure may be provided with, for example, one each of the main portion A and the main portion B.

[0071] (2) In the above embodiment, the protective cover 20 is provided with three locking portions 86 (first locking portion 88, second locking portion 96, and third locking portion 98). The first locking portion 88 is locked to the first locked portion 48 at the main portion A where the bus bar 14 is placed over the terminal portion 12 from the right, and the second and third locking portions 96, 98 are locked to the second and third locked portions 138, 140 at the main portion B where the bus bar 14 is placed over the terminal portion 12 from the front. However, this is not limited to this configuration. That is, when the bus bar is placed over the terminal portion from the right, the first and second locking portions provided on the front and left may be locked. When the bus bar is placed over the terminal portion from the left, the first and third locking portions provided on the front and right may be locked. The number of locking portions provided on the protective cover is not limited to three, and may be two, four, or more.

[0072] (3) In the above embodiment, when the protective cover 20 is pivotally displaced from the open position O to the closed position C, the engaging protrusions 122 elastically deform to overcome the engaging wall portions 60, and the protective cover 20 that has reached the closed position C is prevented from opening beyond a predetermined angle, for example, during servicing, due to the abutment of the engaging protrusions 122 with the engaging wall portions 60. However, such a configuration is not essential to the electrical junction box according to the present disclosure. Also, in the above embodiment, the protective cover 20 includes the rotating shafts 116, and the upper case 24 includes the bearings 52 having the insertion holes 54. The protective cover 20 is pivotally displaced by the rotation of the rotating shafts 116 within the insertion holes 54. However, the pivotal displacement of the protective cover may be achieved by a hinge as in a conventional structure.

[0073] (4) In the above embodiment, the engaging protrusions 122 are provided on the protective cover 20 and the engaging wall 60 is provided on the case 16 (upper case 24), but the engaging protrusions may be provided on the case and the engaging wall may be provided on the protective cover. Also, in the above embodiment, the rotating shafts 116 are provided on the protective cover 20 and the bearings 52 are provided on the case 16 (upper case 24), but the rotating shafts may be provided on the case and the bearings may be provided on the protective cover.

[0074] (5) In the main part A of the above embodiment, the bus bar 72 constituting the terminal portion 12 is composed of two bus bars, a first bus bar 72a and a second bus bar 72b. However, the bus bar constituting the terminal portion may be a single bus bar, as in the main part B.

[0075] (6) In the above embodiment, the nuts 34 are housed in the case 16 (upper case 24), and the terminal portions 12 and the bus bars 14 are fixed together by the bolts 76 inserted from above. However, the case may house stud bolts that protrude upward, and the terminal portions and the conductive members may be fixed together by nuts that are fastened from above.

[0076] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Electrical junction box 12 Terminal portion 14 Bus bar (conductive member) 16 Case 18 Upper opening (opening) 20 Protective cover 22 Bolt insertion hole 24 Upper case 26 Lower opening 28 Upper bottom wall portion 30 Upper peripheral wall portion 32a Front portion of case 32b Rear portion of case 32c Left portion of case 32d Right portion of case 34 Nut 36 Storage space 38 Nut storage portion 40 Right opening (conductive member insertion portion) 42 Peripheral wall 44 Middle wall portion 46 Top surface 48 First locked portion (locked portion) 50 Locked claw 52 Bearing 54 Insertion hole 56 Notch 58 Guide surface 60 Engagement wall portion 62 Inclined surface 64 Flat surface 66 Inclined surface 68 Open position side locked portion 70 Locking claw 72 Bus bar 72a First bus bar 72b Second bus bar 74 Bolt insertion hole 76 Bolt 78 Upper wall portion 80 Peripheral wall 82a Front wall portion 82b Rear wall portion 82c Left wall portion 82d Right wall portion 84 Accommodating recess 86 (Multiple) locking portions 88 First locking portion 90 Through hole 92 Locking claw 94 A-side locking mechanism 96 Second locking portion 98 Third locking portion 100 Recess 102, 104 Operating portion 106 Thick portion 108 Open position side locking portion 110 Locking claw 112 Open position side locking mechanism 114 Elastic arm portion 116 Rotating shaft 118 Inclined surface 120 Gap 122 Engaging protrusion 124 Elastic support portion 126 Inward protrusion 128 Inclined surface 130 Vertical surface 132 Flat surface 134 Peripheral wall 136 Front opening (conductive member insertion portion) 138 Second locked portion (locked portion) 140 Third locked portion (locked portion) 142 Locked claw 144 B-side locking mechanism A, B Main parts C Closed position O Open position R Rotation range X Maximum central angle

Claims

1. An electrical connection box comprising: a case; terminal portions exposed from an opening of the case to which an external conductive member is connected; and a protective cover held by the case so as to be rotatable between an open position where it is separated from the opening to expose the opening, and a closed position where it is placed over the opening and covers it, wherein the protective cover has a plurality of locking portions provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the case has a conductive member insertion portion provided in a portion where at least one of the plurality of locking portions of the protective cover in the closed position is located, and a locked portion with which the locking portion engages, provided in a portion where at least one other of the plurality of locking portions is located, and the protective cover is held in the closed position by the locking portion engaging with the locked portion.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the protective cover has an upper wall portion that is rectangular in a plan view, and a peripheral wall that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the upper wall portion towards the opening, the peripheral wall including a front wall portion and a rear wall portion that are arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction, and a left wall portion and a right wall portion that are arranged opposite each other in the left-to-right direction, a rotating shaft protruding from the rear wall portion is held by a bearing that protrudes from the case, a first locking portion is provided on the front wall portion side, a second locking portion is provided on the left wall portion side, and a third locking portion is provided on the right wall portion side, and the multiple locking portions include the first locking portion, the second locking portion, and the third locking portion.

3. An electrical junction box according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an open position locking mechanism for detachably holding said protective cover in said open position.

4. An electrical connection box as described in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising: an engaging protrusion provided on one of the case and the protective cover; and an engaging wall portion provided on the other of the case and the protective cover, wherein the protective cover is initially disposed in the open position away from the opening to expose the opening, and wherein the protective cover is permitted to rotate from the open position to the closed position where it overlaps the opening to cover the opening by the engaging protrusion elastically deforming and climbing over the engaging wall portion, and wherein the engaging protrusion, having climbed over the engaging wall portion and elastically returned to its original position, abuts against the engaging wall portion, limiting the rotation range of the protective cover towards the open position to a range in which the protective cover rotates to the closed position under its own weight.

5. The electrical junction box according to claim 4, wherein the rotating shaft of the protective cover is held by a bearing provided in the case, and a gap is provided between the rotating shaft and the bearing.

6. The electrical junction box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective cover abuts against an upper surface of a peripheral wall of the opening when the protective cover is placed in the closed position.

Images