Junction Box Attachment Structure for Position Gap Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing attachment structures for electric junction boxes on vehicles face challenges with increasing gaps between attaching legs and vehicle components, leading to higher costs and buckling issues due to enlarged hole diameters and non-standard fasteners, which complicates assembly and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
An attachment structure featuring a washer and cover system where the washer is held between an attaching leg and a cover, with a hole diameter smaller than the attaching leg's hole, allowing for adjustable positioning and distribution of force, preventing buckling and allowing standard fasteners to be used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the hole portions on attaching legs are enlarged to absorb position gaps, then the position gap between attaching legs and vehicle body is absorbed, but the attaching legs become easy to buckle and nonstandard fasteners are required increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a positioning member as an intermediary component between the attaching leg and the vehicle body. This positioning member has a positioning portion that fits into the enlarged hole portion and a positioning hole that receives the fastener. The positioning member acts as a mediator that absorbs the position gap while maintaining structural integrity and allowing standard fasteners to be used, thereby preventing buckling of the attaching leg.
2Manufacturing precision
If the hole portions on attaching legs are enlarged to absorb position gaps, then the position gap between attaching legs and vehicle body is absorbed, but nonstandard fasteners with larger diameters are required increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning member serves as an intermediary that decouples the relationship between the enlarged hole portion and the fastener diameter. The positioning member's positioning hole can be sized to accommodate standard fasteners, while the positioning portion accommodates the position gap through the larger hole portion in the attaching leg. This allows standard fasteners to be used despite the enlarged hole portions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the number of attaching legs is increased to attach larger box main body, then the attachment stability is improved, but the number of fasteners and position gaps increases complicating assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the attachment function into two distinct components: the attaching leg (providing structural support and positioning) and the positioning member (providing gap absorption and fastener interface). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies assembly, as the positioning member can be pre-assembled on the vehicle body and then the attaching legs can be easily attached without complex alignment procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment structure 1 includes: a plurality of attaching legs 5, 6, 7 projected from an outer surface of a box main body 2 as the object and overlapped with a vehicle attaching portion 3 as the subject; a washer 8 fixed to the vehicle attaching portion 3 together with one attaching leg 7 by a bolt, while being overlapped with the one attaching leg 7 at a side away from the vehicle attaching portion 3; and a cover 9 attached to the one attaching leg 7, holding the washer 8 between the cover 9 and the one attaching leg 7. The cover 9 is provided with an exposing hole 9a for exposing a first hole portion 8a provided on the washer 8.