Electrical junction box

Abstract

This electrical junction box (10) comprises a main case (21). The main case (21) has: a mounting part (23) on which an electronic component (22) is mounted; and an attachment surface (24) formed on one lateral surface of the lateral surfaces of the outer periphery of the mounting part (23). The main case (21) has, on the attachment surface (24), a support part (25) capable of supporting each of a plurality of sub-cases (61). The sub-case (61) constitutes a sub-case unit (60) together with a fuse unit (62) or the like as a retrofitted electronic component.

Description

Electrical junction box

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a fuse box as an electrical junction box. This fuse box includes a main power supply box and a sub power supply box that are coupled (connected) to each other. Mechanical coupling means and electrical connection means are separately provided in the main power supply box and the sub power supply box.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-84447

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, only one sub power supply box can be attached to the main power supply box. For this reason, the mode of use as an electrical junction box is limited, and there is a concern that it lacks versatility. Further, since electrical connection means consisting of bolts, nuts and connecting portions are provided on the respective upper surfaces of the main power supply box and the sub power supply box, there is also a problem that the size increases in the height direction.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical junction box that can avoid an increase in size and is excellent in versatility.

[0006] The electrical junction box of the present disclosure includes a main case having a mounting portion for mounting an electronic component and a mounting surface, the mounting surface is formed on at least one of side surfaces of the main case on an outer periphery of the mounting portion, and the main case has, on the mounting surface, support portions capable of respectively supporting a plurality of sub cases. [It is] an electrical junction box.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box that can avoid an increase in size and is excellent in versatility.

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1, in which multiple sub-case units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface of the main case. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1, in which one sub-case unit is arranged along the mounting surface of the main case. Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the front of the main case in the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a sub-case unit in the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view of a sub-case in the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the rear of the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1, in the state shown in Figure 1, viewed from the opposite direction to Figure 1. Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the front of the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 1, in the state shown in Figure 1, viewed from above. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an electrical junction box according to Embodiment 2, in which multiple sub-case units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface of the main case. Figure 9 is an enlarged side view of the front of the main case in the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 2. Figure 10 is an enlarged plan view of the front of the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 2, in the state shown in Figure 8. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the sub-case unit in the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 2. Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the electrical junction box according to Embodiment 2, with the intermediate part in the front-to-back direction cut off, in the state shown in Figure 8.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure] First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described. The electrical junction box of the Disclosure comprises a main case having (1) a mounting portion for mounting electronic components and a mounting surface, wherein the mounting surface is configured as at least one of the side surfaces of the main case on the outer circumference of the mounting portion, and the main case has support portions on the mounting surface that are capable of supporting a plurality of sub-cases. Since the support portions of the main case are capable of supporting a plurality of sub-cases, the required number of sub-cases can be attached to the main case depending on the usage situation, providing excellent versatility. In addition, by not attaching unnecessary sub-cases to the main case, it is possible to avoid making the electrical junction box unnecessarily large. In particular, since the sub-cases are attached to the mounting surface on the outer circumference of the mounting portion, the height dimension of the electrical junction box can be reduced.

[0010] (2) In the electrical junction box described in (1) above, it is preferable to have a subcase unit having the subcase and an add-on electronic component mounted on the subcase, wherein at least one subcase unit is arranged along the mounting surface. By arranging the subcase unit along the mounting surface of the main case, the electronic component mounted on the mounting portion of the main case and the add-on electronic component mounted on the subcase unit can be compactly combined into a single electrical junction box.

[0011] (3) In the electrical junction box described in (2) above, it is preferable that one side of the subcase is open as an exposed surface where the aftermarket electronic components are exposed, and the other side of the subcase opposite to the one side is closed as a wall, and when multiple subcase units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface, the exposed surface of one of the adjacent subcases is closed by the wall of the other subcase. When multiple subcase units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface, the exposed surface of the subcase is closed by the wall of the adjacent subcase, so that foreign objects and the like can not enter the subcase from the exposed surface. In particular, since multiple subcase units can be arranged in a space-efficient manner along the mounting surface, an increase in the size of the electrical junction box can be avoided more reliably.

[0012] (4) In the electrical junction box described in any of (1) to (3) above, the end of the main case has a plate wall protruding from the mounting surface, and when a plurality of the sub-case units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface, it is preferable that the exposed surface of the sub-case facing the end of the main case is closed by the plate wall. The plate wall also prevents foreign matter from entering from the exposed surface of the sub-case facing the end of the main case. Furthermore, for example, by making all the sub-case units the same, it becomes unnecessary to distinguish between the sub-case units. As a result, the hassle of parts management can be eliminated.

[0013] (5) In the electrical junction box described in any of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the support portion has a rail portion extending in the plane direction of the mounting surface, and the sub-case has a rail guide portion that fits into the rail portion to prevent the sub-case unit from detaching from the mounting surface. When attaching the sub-case to the main case, it is sufficient to slide the sub-case in the plane direction of the mounting surface and fit the rail guide portion into the rail portion, thus eliminating the need for complicated work such as tightening bolts, resulting in excellent workability.

[0014] (6) In the electrical junction box described in (5) above, the sub-case has a locking portion, and the rail portion has a locking portion that locks with the locking portion to stop the movement of the sub-case unit along the rail portion. By locking the locking portion with the locking portion, the sub-case unit can be fixed in place at a predetermined position on the mounting surface. In particular, the movement of the sub-case unit can be automatically stopped in conjunction with the sliding movement of the sub-case unit along the surface direction of the mounting surface, which provides superior workability.

[0015] (7) In the electrical connection box described in any of (1) to (6) above, the add-on electronic component is preferably a fuse unit in which a pair of terminals protrude side by side from a resin part, the sub-case has a partition wall separating the pair of terminals, and the fuse unit is arranged to straddle the partition wall. The pair of terminals are electrically isolated by the partition wall. The fuse unit is prevented from falling out of the sub-case by being supported by the partition wall.

[0016] [Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure] Specific examples of the Disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples and is intended to be shown by the claims, with all modifications within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims being included.

[0017] <Embodiment 1> An electrical junction box 10 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1-7. The electrical junction box 10 according to Embodiment 1 comprises a main case 21. As shown in Figure 1, the main case 21, together with a plurality of electronic components 22 mounted on the main case 21, constitutes a main case unit 20. Examples of electronic components 22 include relays, fuses, etc. For this reason, the electrical junction box 10 can be suitably used as a relay box, fuse box, etc. The electrical junction box 10 may include at least one sub-case unit 60 as an option that is attached to the main case 21. The sub-case unit 60 has a sub-case 61 and an aftermarket electronic component that is mounted on the sub-case 61. When a plurality of sub-case units 60 are attached to the main case 21, the aftermarket electronic component is mounted individually on each sub-case 61. In this Embodiment 1, a fuse unit 62 is exemplified as an aftermarket electronic component. In Figure 1, the reference numerals X, Y, and Z represent the front, right, and top, respectively. These directional references are for convenience only and do not necessarily coincide with the directional references when the electrical connection box 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like.

[0018] (Main Case Unit 20) The main case 21 is made of synthetic resin, for example. In this embodiment 1, the main case 21 has a rectangular outer shape in plan view. The top surface of the main case 21 is provided with mounting portions 23 for mounting each electronic component 22. Although not shown in detail, the mounting portions 23 are configured to have recesses for individually fitting the electronic components 22. The four sides of the main case 21 are the outer sides of the mounting portions 23 and are arranged facing forward, backward, left, and right. As shown in Figure 2, of the four sides of the main case 21, at least one side, in this case the side facing right, is configured as a mounting surface 24 on which a plurality of sub-case units 60 (which are also sub-cases 61) can be attached.

[0019] A support portion 25 is provided on the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21. The sub-cases 61 are supported by the support portion 25 and can be attached to the mounting surface 24 in any number depending on the design requirements. In this embodiment 1, the support portion 25 has a rail portion 26, a locking portion 27, and a plate wall 28. The support portion 25 is provided only on the mounting surface 24 and not on the upper and lower surfaces of the main case 21 such as the mounting portion 23.

[0020] The rail sections 26 are provided in pairs in the vertical direction on the mounting surface 24. The paired rail sections 26 extend in the front-rear direction, and their rear ends open to the rear surface of the main case 21. The front ends of each rail section 26 are closed by a plate wall 28. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, each rail section 26 has grooves 29 that face each other in the vertical direction. Each groove 29 defines a groove width in the left-right direction between its left and right ends. The left end of the groove 29 is part of the back surface 24A at the rear of the mounting surface 24. The back surface 24A of the mounting surface 24 is arranged along the vertical and front-rear directions between the left ends of each groove 29.

[0021] The rail section 26 has rail side walls 31 and 32 that close the right end of each groove section 29. The right side of the rail side walls 31 and 32 (the side opposite to the direction facing the groove section 29) is composed of the front surface 24B of the mounting surface 24. The surface 24B of the mounting surface 24 is arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions, including the right side of the rail side walls 31 and 32. The rear surface 24A of the mounting surface 24 is recessed further back than the surface 24B of the mounting surface 24.

[0022] As shown in Figure 6, of the pair of rail side walls 31 and 32 arranged vertically, the lower rail side wall 31 and the corresponding portion of the back surface 24A of the mounting surface 24 facing the rail side wall 31 form a groove 29 with a constant groove width overall. In contrast, the upper rail side wall 32 and the corresponding portion of the back surface 24A of the mounting surface 24 facing the rail side wall 32 form a groove 29 with different groove widths at its upper and lower parts. Specifically, the groove 29 of the rail side wall 32 has a larger groove width at the bottom than at the top. Correspondingly, the wall thickness of the lower part of the rail side wall 32 is smaller than that of the upper part.

[0023] Multiple locking portions 27 are provided at regular intervals in the front-rear direction on the lower part of the rail side wall 32. Each locking portion 27 has a shape (concave shape) that is cut out from the corresponding part of the lower part of the rail side wall 32, and opens in a long rectangular shape in the left-right direction when viewed from the side. As shown in Figure 6, the rail guide portion 69 of the sub-case 61, which will be described later, is fitted and inserted into the groove portion 29 of each rail portion 26 from the rear. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the locked portion 71 of the sub-case 61, which will be described later, is locked to the locking portion 27.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the plate wall 28 protrudes to the right from the mounting surface 24 at the front end of the main case 21. The plate wall 28 has a rectangular outer shape that is elongated vertically when viewed from the front and rear. The left end of the plate wall 28 is connected to the main body portion of the main case 21 (the portion excluding the plate wall 28) over its entire height in the vertical direction. The front surface of the plate wall 28 is continuous with the front surface of the main body portion of the main case 21 without any steps. The rear surface of the plate wall 28 is perpendicular to the front end and rear surface 24A of each rail portion 26. The sub-case 61 at the foremost position (leading position) can be in contact with and face the plate wall 28.

[0025] (Subcase Unit 60) The subcase 61 is made of synthetic resin, for example. In this embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 5, the subcase 61 has a back wall 63, a first side wall 64, a second side wall 65, and a partition wall 77. The back wall 63 is a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction when viewed from the front and rear, with the plate surface facing the front and rear directions. As shown in Figure 6, the rear surface of the back wall 63 is a wall surface 63A that is aligned in the vertical and left and right directions. As shown in Figure 7, the wall surface 63A can close off the exposed surface 66 of the subcase unit 60, which will be described later, that is positioned opposite this wall surface 63A.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65 are each rectangular plates that are elongated vertically when viewed from the side, with their surfaces facing left and right. The first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65 face each other in the left and right directions. The space between the first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65 and in front of the back wall 63 is the mounting space 70 in which the fuse unit 62 is placed. The front surface of the subcase 61 is open as an exposed surface 66 that exposes the front surface of the fuse unit 62 between the front ends of the first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65. The exposed surface 66 is the surface that constitutes the space that exposes the front surface of the fuse unit 62.

[0027] The first side wall 64 protrudes forward from the right end of the back wall 63. The rear end of the first side wall 64 is connected to the back wall 63 over its entire height in the vertical direction. A rib-shaped stopper portion 67 extending vertically is provided at the upper front end of the left side surface (the surface facing the second side wall 65) of the first side wall 64. A pair of stopper portions 67 are also provided on the second side wall 65 in the same height range. The left-right opening width of the exposed surface 66 is narrowed by the stopper portions 67 of the first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65. As shown in Figure 4, the fuse unit 62 housed in the mounting space 70 is prevented from coming out of the mounting space 70 forward by contacting each stopper portion 67 from the rear.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the subcase 61 has a connecting wall 68 between the rear end of the second side wall 65 and the left end of the back wall 63. The connecting wall 68 is connected to the portion of the rear end of the second side wall 65 excluding both ends in the vertical direction (rail guide portion 69, which will be described later), and to the upper left end of the back wall 63. The connecting wall 68 has its plate surface facing the front-to-back direction and is continuous with the back wall 63 without any steps.

[0029] The second side wall 65 protrudes forward from the left end of the connecting wall 68. The stopper portion 67 is provided in a shape that extends vertically in the portion of the right side surface (the surface facing the first side wall 64) of the second side wall 65, excluding both ends in the vertical direction at the front end. Both ends in the vertical direction of the second side wall 65 are configured as rail guide portions 69 that are fitted and inserted into the rail portion 26. Each rail guide portion 69 is a plate-like (rib-like) shape that extends in the front-rear direction as part of the second side wall 65. A locking portion 71 is provided protruding from the right side surface of the upper rail guide portion 69. The locking portion 71 has a ridge shape that extends in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment 1, the locking portion 71 has a top portion 72 in the middle of the front-rear direction, and its thickness (amount of protrusion to the right) gradually decreases from the top portion 72 toward the front and rear. For example, the locking portion 71 has a triangular shape in plan view. The width of the groove 29 in the rail section 26 in the left-right direction is greater than the wall thickness of the rail guide section 69 in the left-right direction, and smaller than the sum of the wall thickness of the rail guide section 69 in the left-right direction and the amount of the locking section 71 protruding to the right (see Figure 6).

[0030] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the partition wall 77 protrudes forward from the middle of the left-right direction at the lower part of the front surface of the back wall 63. In a side view, the partition wall 77 is a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction, with its surface facing left and right. The lower part of the mounting space 70 is divided left and right by the partition wall 77. The partition wall 77 is positioned between a pair of terminals 73 of the fuse unit 62, which will be described later, and ensures an insulating distance between each terminal 73.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the fuse unit 62 has a pair of terminals 73, a resin part 74, and a chip fuse (not shown). The chip fuse has a pair of electrodes (not shown) connected to each of the terminals 73. When the chip fuse melts due to a large current, each electrode is electrically isolated.

[0032] Each terminal 73 is made of a conductive metal plate. Each terminal 73 is arranged side by side in the left-right direction with its axis facing up and down. At least a portion of the upper part of each terminal 73 is covered with a resin part 74. The resin part 74 as a whole has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The left-right spacing between each terminal 73 is kept constant by the resin part 74.

[0033] The lower part of each terminal 73 protrudes in a line from the lower surface of the resin part 74. A wire barrel part 75 and an insulation barrel part 76 are provided at the lower part of each terminal 73. The wire barrel part 75 is crimped and connected to the exposed conductor 91 at the end of the electric wire 90. The insulation barrel part 76 is crimped and connected to the insulation 92 at the end of the electric wire 90. The two electric wires 90 connected to each terminal 73 extend downward from the fuse unit 62. Note that in the drawings showing the sub-case unit 60 attached to the main unit (Figures 1, 2, and 6), the electric wires 90 are omitted from the drawing for illustrative purposes.

[0034] (Assembly Procedure) When assembling the sub-case unit 60, the fuse unit 62 is inserted into the mounting space 70 through the exposed surface 66 and top opening of the sub-case 61 with two electric wires 90 connected to each terminal 73. As shown in Figure 4, the fuse unit 62 is mounted in the mounting space 70 of the sub-case 61 so as to straddle the bulkhead 77. Here, the resin part 74 contacts and supports the upper end of the bulkhead 77, preventing the fuse unit 62 from falling out of the sub-case 61 downwards. In addition, the resin part 74 contacts each stopper part 67 from behind, preventing the fuse unit 62 from coming out of the sub-case 61 forwards. With this, the sub-case unit 60 is completed.

[0035] To attach the sub-case unit 60 to the main case 21, each rail guide portion 69 of the sub-case 61 is first fitted and inserted from the rear into the corresponding groove portion 29 of the rail portion 26. At this time, the left surface of the second side wall 65 is positioned to make surface contact with the back surface 24A of the mounting surface 24 (see Figure 6). The left end surface of the back wall 63 is positioned to make surface contact with the surface 24B of the mounting surface 24. The connecting wall 68 is positioned to be sandwiched between the rail side walls 31 and 32. By fitting each rail guide portion 69 into the corresponding rail portion 26 in this way, the sub-case unit 60 is prevented from coming out of the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21 in the vertical and rightward directions.

[0036] As the sub-case unit 60 is pushed further forward, each rail guide portion 69 slides along the groove portion 29 while maintaining its engagement with each rail portion 26, guiding the insertion of the sub-case unit 60. The locking portion 27 slides along the lower part of the rail side wall 32. Then, the front end surfaces of the first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65 reach a position where they abut against the plate wall 28 from behind, thereby stopping the insertion of the sub-case unit 60 (see Figures 1 and 7). At this time, the locked portion 71 elastically fits into the corresponding foremost locking portion 27, and the rearward movement of the sub-case unit 60 is also suppressed. Thus, the first sub-case unit 60 is positioned at the foremost position facing the plate wall 28 while being supported by the support portion 25. The exposed surface 66 of the first sub-case unit 60 is completely covered and closed by the plate wall 28.

[0037] If the required number of sub-case units 60 to be attached to the main case 21 is two or more, the second sub-case unit 60 is attached to the main case 21 following the first sub-case unit 60 described above. The attachment procedure is the same as above, and with each rail guide portion 69 fitted to each rail portion 26, the sub-case unit 60 is slid forward along the mounting surface 24. When the second sub-case unit 60 reaches its own attachment position, the front end surfaces of the first side wall 64 and the second side wall 65 abut against the wall surface 63A of the back wall 63 of the first sub-case unit 60 from behind, stopping the insertion operation of the sub-case unit 60 (see Figure 7). The locking portion 71 elastically fits into and locks into the second locking portion 27 from the front. In this way, the required number of sub-case units 60 are sequentially attached along the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21. In this embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, approximately 10 sub-case units 60 can be arranged side by side, supporting the support portion 25 and completely covering the mounting surface 24. In particular, in this embodiment 1, adjacent sub-case units 60 in the front-to-back direction are in contact with each other, and the exposed surface 66 of each sub-case unit 60 is closed by the plate wall 28 or wall surface 63A, so that many sub-case units 60 can be efficiently packed and mounted on the main case unit 20.

[0038] As described above, the electrical junction box 10 of this embodiment 1 comprises a main case 21 having a mounting portion 23 for mounting electronic components 22 and a mounting surface 24. The mounting surface 24 is formed on one of the sides of the main case 21 on the outer circumference of the mounting portion 23. The main case 21 has support portions 25 on the mounting surface 24 that are capable of supporting a plurality of sub-cases 61.

[0039] Since the support portion 25 of the main case 21 can each support multiple sub-cases 61, the required number of sub-cases 61 can be attached to the main case 21 depending on the usage situation, resulting in excellent versatility. Furthermore, by avoiding the attachment of unnecessary sub-cases 61 to the main case 21, it is possible to avoid unnecessarily increasing the size of the electrical junction box 10. In particular, since the sub-cases 61 are attached to the mounting surface 24 on the outer circumference of the mounting portion 23, the height dimension (vertical dimension) of the electrical junction box 10 can be reduced.

[0040] The electrical connection box 10 also includes a subcase unit 60 having a subcase 61 and a fuse unit 62 (aftermarket electronic component) mounted on the subcase 61. At least one subcase unit 60 is arranged along the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21.

[0041] By positioning the sub-case unit 60 along the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21, the electronic components 22 mounted on the mounting portion 23 of the main case 21 and the fuse unit 62 mounted on the sub-case unit 60 can be compactly integrated into a single electrical connection box 10.

[0042] One side of the subcase 61 (the front side in this embodiment 1) is open as an exposed surface 66 in which the fuse unit 62 is exposed, while the other side of the subcase 61 opposite to the exposed surface (the rear side in this embodiment 1) is closed as a wall surface 63A. When multiple subcase units 60 are arranged in a row along the mounting surface 24, the exposed surface 66 of one of the adjacent subcases 61 is closed by the wall surface 63A of the other subcase 61.

[0043] When a plurality of sub-case units 60 are arranged side by side along the mounting surface 24, the exposed surface 66 of the sub-case 61 is closed off by the wall surface 63A of the adjacent sub-case 61, so that foreign matter and the like can be prevented from entering the sub-case 61 through the exposed surface 66. In particular, since the plurality of sub-case units 60 can be arranged side by side along the mounting surface 24 with high space efficiency, an increase in size of the electrical connection box 10 can be more reliably avoided.

[0044] An end portion (front end portion) of the main case 21 has a plate wall 28 protruding from the mounting surface 24. When a plurality of sub-case units 60 are arranged side by side along the mounting surface 24, the exposed surface 66 of the sub-case 61 facing the end portion of the main case 21 is closed off by the plate wall 28. The plate wall 28 can also prevent foreign matter and the like from entering through the exposed surface 66 of the sub-case 61 facing the end portion of the main case 21. In particular, as in the present first embodiment, by making all the sub-case units 60 the same, there is no need to distinguish between the sub-case units 60. As a result, the complexity of parts management can be eliminated.

[0045] Further, in the case of the present first embodiment, the support portion 25 has a rail portion 26 extending in the surface direction of the mounting surface 24 (the front-rear direction in the case of the present first embodiment), and the sub-case 61 has a rail guide portion 69 that fits into the rail portion 26 and suppresses detachment of the sub-case unit 60 from the mounting surface 24. When attaching the sub-case 61 to the main case 21, it is only necessary to slide the sub-case 61 in the surface direction of the mounting surface 24 and fit the rail guide portion 69 to the rail portion 26. Therefore, complicated work such as bolt tightening is not required, resulting in excellent workability.

[0046] The sub-case 61 has a locked portion 71, and the rail portion 26 has a locking portion 27 that locks with the locked portion 71 and stops the movement of the sub-case unit 60 along the rail portion 26. By locking the locking portion 27 with the locked portion 71, the sub-case unit 60 can be held at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 24. In particular, the movement of the sub-case unit 60 can be automatically stopped following the sliding movement of the sub-case unit 60 along the surface direction of the mounting surface 24, so that workability is further improved.

[0047] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, the fuse unit 62 has a pair of terminals 73 protruding side by side from the resin portion 74, and the sub-case 61 has a partition wall 77 separating between the pair of terminals 73. The fuse unit 62 is disposed so as to straddle the partition wall 77. According to this configuration, the pair of terminals 73 are electrically isolated by the partition wall 77. In addition, the fuse unit 62 is supported by the partition wall 77, which prevents the fuse unit 62 from falling out of the sub-case 61.

[0048] <Second Embodiment> Next, an electrical junction box 10 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 12. The electrical junction box 10 according to the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment described above in the structures of the rail portion 26 of the support portion 25 and a part of the sub-case 61. The electrical junction box 10 according to the second embodiment also differs from that of the first embodiment described above in the attachment direction of the sub-case unit 60 to the main case 21, and the like. Other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, and parts having structures or functions similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. In FIG. 8, reference signs X, Y and Z represent the front direction, the right direction and the upper direction, respectively.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the support portion 25 has a plurality of rail portions 26 protruding from the attachment surface 24 of the main case 21. Each of the rail portions 26 is provided on the attachment surface 24 at a constant interval in the front-rear direction. Each of the rail portions 26 is formed in a rib shape extending in the up-down direction, and is connected to the main body portion of the main case 21 over the entire height in the up-down direction.

[0050] Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 12, each rail section 26, except for the rail sections 26 at the foremost and rearmost positions, has a rib-shaped base wall 33 that protrudes from the corresponding portion of the mounting surface 24 and extends vertically, and a pair of front and rear rail side walls 31 and 32 that extend in both the front and rear directions from the tip (right end) of the protruding base wall 33. Between the pair of front and rear rail side walls 31 and 32, the mounting surface 24, and the base wall 33, there is a pair of front and rear grooves 29 that open to the front and rear, respectively. Each groove 29 extends across the entire height of the rail section 26 in the vertical direction, with its upper end opening above the main case 21 and its lower end opening below the main case 21. The width of the grooves 29 in the left-right direction is defined between the mounting surface 24 and the rail side walls 31 and 32.

[0051] As shown in Figure 9, the front and rear rail sections 26 each have a strip-like shape extending in the vertical direction, and each has a locking section 27 located slightly above the midpoint in the vertical direction. Each locking section 27 has a shape (concave shape) that is cut out from the corresponding portion of each rail side wall 31, 32, and for example, in a side view, it opens in a long rectangular shape in the vertical direction, sandwiching the base wall 33.

[0052] The foremost rail section 26 has a rail side wall 31 that protrudes rearward from a position near the mounting surface 24 on the rear surface of the plate wall 28. As shown in Figure 9, the rail side wall 31 is provided with a notched locking portion 27. As shown in Figure 10, a groove portion 29 that opens to the rear is provided between the rail side wall 31, the mounting surface 24, and the plate wall 28. The shapes of the locking portion 27 and the groove portion 29 are the same as those of the rail section 26.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, the last rail section 26 has a rib-shaped base wall 33 that protrudes vertically from the rearmost end of the mounting surface 24, and a rail side wall 32 that extends forward from the tip (right end) of the base wall 33 in the protruding direction. The rail side wall 32 is provided with a notched locking portion 27 (not shown here). A groove portion 29 that opens forward is provided between the rail side wall 32, the mounting surface 24, and the base wall 33. The shapes of the locking portion 27 and the groove portion 29 are the same as those of the rail section 26.

[0054] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the space between adjacent rail sections 26 in the front-rear direction is a storage space 40 in which a sub-case unit 60 (which is also a sub-case 61) is housed.

[0055] As shown in Figure 11, the subcase 61 has a back wall 63, a first side wall 64, a second side wall 65, a connecting wall 68, and a partition wall 77. The shapes of the back wall 63, the first side wall 64, the connecting wall 68, and the partition wall 77 are the same as those of Embodiment 1 described above. The second side wall 65 has a side wall body portion 78 that protrudes forward from the left end of the connecting wall 68, and a rail guide portion 69 that protrudes less than the side wall body portion 78 from the left end of the connecting wall 68. A pair of rail guide portions 69 are also provided at the front end of the side wall body portion 78. The rail guide portion 69 and the side wall body portion 78 as a whole have a rectangular plate shape that is long in the vertical direction when viewed from the side, with the plate surface facing left and right. A locking portion 71 is provided protruding from the right side of the front rail guide portion 69 (front end of the side wall body portion 78). The locking portion 71 has a ridge shape that extends in the vertical direction. In this case, the locking portion 71 has a top portion 72 in the middle of the vertical direction, and its thickness (amount of protrusion to the right) gradually decreases from the top portion 72 upwards and downwards. For example, the locking portion 71 has a triangular shape when viewed from the front.

[0056] As shown in Figure 10, the width of the groove 29 in the rail section 26 in the left-right direction is greater than the wall thickness of the rail guide section 69 in the left-right direction, and smaller than the sum of the wall thickness of the rail guide section 69 in the left-right direction and the amount of the locking section 71 protruding to the right. The locking section 71 faces the stopper section 67 of the first side wall 64 in the left-right direction, and together with the stopper section 67, narrows the opening width of the exposed surface 66 in the left-right direction. The fuse unit 62 housed in the mounting space 70 is prevented from coming out of the mounting space 70 forward by contacting the locking section 71 and the stopper section 67 from the rear. The locking section 71 of this embodiment 2 has both the function of locking the sub-case unit 60 to the locking section 27 and fixing it in a predetermined position on the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21, and the function of preventing the fuse unit 62 from coming out of the sub-case 61.

[0057] When assembling the sub-case 61 to the main case 21, the front and rear rail guide portions 69 of the sub-case 61 are first fitted into the corresponding grooves 29 of the rail portion 26 from above or below, and the sub-case unit 60 is inserted into the housing space 40. At this time, the left surface of the second side wall 65 is positioned to be in surface contact with the mounting surface 24 (see Figure 10). The wall surface 63A of the back wall 63 is positioned along the front end surface of the rail side wall 32. By fitting each rail guide portion 69 into the corresponding rail portion 26, the sub-case unit 60 is prevented from coming out of the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21 in the front-rear and rightward directions.

[0058] Furthermore, as the sub-case unit 60 is pushed downward or upward, each rail guide portion 69 slides along the groove portion 29 while maintaining its engagement with each rail portion 26, guiding the insertion of the sub-case unit 60. When the locking portion 71 reaches a position where it elastically fits into the corresponding locking portion 27 (see Figure 12), the insertion of the sub-case unit 60 is stopped, and the sub-case unit 60 is prevented from coming out of the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21 in the vertical direction. As a result, the sub-case unit 60 is supported in a position fixed at the mounting surface 24 of the main case 21.

[0059] Similar to Embodiment 1 described above, the required number of sub-case units 60 are attached to the main case 21. For example, when a sub-case unit 60 is attached to the foremost position of the main case 21, the exposed surface 66 of the sub-case unit 60 is completely covered and closed by the plate wall 28 (see Figure 10). The exposed surfaces 66 of the sub-case units 60, except for the foremost position, are completely covered and closed by the wall surface 63A of the adjacent sub-case unit 60 in front of it. Therefore, in Embodiment 2 as well, as shown in Figure 8, it is possible to efficiently attach many sub-case units 60 to the main case unit 20 by packing them in the front-to-back direction.

[0060] [Other Embodiments of the Disclosure] Embodiments 1 and 2 disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. In Embodiments 1 and 2, one or more sub-cases (sub-case units) were attached to the main case. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the electrical junction box may not have sub-cases (sub-case units) attached to the main case. In short, it is sufficient that the mounting surface of the main case is provided with support parts to which multiple sub-cases can be attached. In Embodiments 1 and 2, the right side of the four sides of the main case was configured as a mounting surface to which multiple sub-cases can be attached. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the sides other than the right side of the four sides of the main case may be configured as mounting surfaces. Also, two or more sides of the four sides of the main case may be configured as mounting surfaces. Furthermore, if there are three or five or more sides on the outer circumference of the mounting part of the main case, a mounting surface may be configured on any side of each side. In Embodiments 1 and 2, the electronic components and add-on electronic components consisted of relays and fuse units. In contrast, according to other embodiments, the electronic components and add-on electronic components may be other electronic components other than relays and fuse units, such as switches. Furthermore, the electronic components and add-on electronic components may be of the same type (including identical) to each other.

[0061] 10...Electrical junction box 20...Main case unit 21...Main case 22...Electronic component 23...Mounting section 24...Mounting surface 24A...Rear surface 24B...Front surface 25...Support section 26...Rail section 27...Locking section 28...Plate wall 29...Groove section 31...Lower or rear rail side wall 32...Upper or front rail side wall 33...Base wall 40...Housing space 60...Subcase unit 61...Subcase 62...Fuse unit 63...Back wall 63A...Wall surface 64...First side wall 65...Second side wall 66...Exposed surface 67...Stopper section 68...Connecting wall 69...Rail guide section 70...Mounting space 71...Locking section 72...Top section 73...Terminal 74...Resin section 75...Wire barrel section 76...Insulation barrel section 77...Partition wall 78...Side wall main body 90...Electric wire 91...Conductor 92...Insulation

Claims

1. An electrical junction box comprising a main case having a mounting portion for mounting electronic components and a mounting surface, wherein the mounting surface is formed on at least one of the side surfaces of the main case on the outer circumference of the mounting portion, and the main case has support portions on the mounting surface capable of supporting a plurality of sub-cases.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, comprising a subcase unit having the subcase and an add-on electronic component mounted on the subcase, wherein at least one subcase unit is arranged along the mounting surface.

3. The electrical connection box according to claim 2, wherein one side of the subcase is open as an exposed surface in which the aftermarket electronic components are exposed, the other side of the subcase opposite to the one side is closed as a wall, and when a plurality of the subcase units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface, the exposed surface of one of the adjacent subcases is closed by the wall of the other subcase.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3, wherein the end of the main case has a plate wall protruding from the mounting surface, and when a plurality of the sub-case units are arranged in a row along the mounting surface, the exposed surface of the sub-case facing the end of the main case is closed by the plate wall.

5. The electrical connection box according to claim 2, wherein the support portion has a rail portion extending in the plane direction of the mounting surface, and the sub-case has a rail guide portion that fits into the rail portion to prevent the sub-case unit from detaching from the mounting surface.

6. The electrical connection box according to claim 5, wherein the sub-case has a locking portion, and the rail portion has a locking portion that locks with the locking portion to stop the movement of the sub-case unit along the rail portion.

7. The electrical connection box according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the aftermarket electronic component is a fuse unit having a pair of terminals protruding side by side from a resin part, the subcase has a partition wall separating the pair of terminals, and the fuse unit is arranged to straddle the partition wall.

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