Electrical Connection Box Divided Terminal Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electrical connection boxes face issues with contact resistance and gaps in terminal fastening portions when adapting to different vehicle models, leading to inadequate electrical connections due to removed bus bars and components.

Innovation Solution

The electrical connection box features divided terminal portions that partially cover the seating surface of the fastening tool, arranged in non-overlapping regions, ensuring a stable contact surface area and reduced contact resistance, even when components are partially removed for low-grade vehicle models.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If bus bars or components are removed from the high-grade design to create low-grade vehicle model versions, then adaptation to different vehicle models is improved, but gaps are created in the terminal fastening portion causing increased contact resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAdaptation to different vehicle modelsVSAvoidElectrical connection quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal fastening portion is divided into multiple terminal portions (first terminal portion and second terminal portion) that are arranged side-by-side in the axial direction of the bolt. This segmentation allows selective removal of individual terminal portions for different vehicle models without creating gaps, as each terminal portion occupies a distinct spatial region. The divided terminal portions can be independently configured to match the specific circuit requirements of high-grade or low-grade vehicle models while maintaining continuous contact surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the terminal fastening portion is designed to accommodate multiple configurations for different vehicle models, then versatility is improved, but the structural complexity of the terminal fastening portion increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCircuit configuration flexibilityVSAvoidTerminal fastening portion structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different terminal portions are designed with locally optimized structures suited to their specific functions. The first terminal portion and second terminal portion have distinct geometries and contact surface configurations that are tailored to their respective electrical connection requirements. This local quality approach allows each terminal portion to be simple and efficient for its specific purpose, while the overall system achieves versatility through the combination of these specialized local structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3528356B1Electrical connection box
Publication Date: 2020.08.12 SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD
  • EP3528356B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3528356B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3528356B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides an electrical connection box having a novel structure that is capable of keeping contact resistance for a terminal fastening portion in a favorable state while adapting readily and rapidly to changes in circuitry. An electrical connection box 10 includes a box main body 12; internal circuits 38a and 38b that are arranged and accommodated in the box main body 12; and a terminal fastening portion 94 that is arranged and accommodated in the box main body 12, and that is provided with a first fastening tool 62, the electrical connection box 10 having a plurality of connection terminal portions 54a and 54b that are provided to the internal circuits 38a and 38b arranged on a first seating surface 96 of the first fastening tool 62, and also having the plurality of connection terminal portions 54a and 54b fastened and fixed together with a connection terminal 76 that is crimped to an end of an external wire 78, in which the plurality of connection terminal portions 54a and 54b each include a plurality of divided terminal portions 54a and 54b that are formed to a size that partially covers the first seating surface 96 of the first fastening tool 62, and the divided terminal portions 54a and 54b are arranged in regions that do not overlap each other in an axis direction of the first fastening tool 62.