Rotating Terminal Cover for Electrical Connection Box
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electrical connection box designs, particularly those with relief terminals, face challenges in manufacturing efficiency and cost due to complex mold requirements and increased size caused by protruding bearing components.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a bus bar with a relief terminal section, a block, and a frame made of insulating resin, where the block includes a terminal support section and a first cover support section, and the frame has an insertion hole with a second cover support section, allowing the terminal cover to be rotatably supported without external protrusions, simplifying the mold structure and reducing the box's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bearing is made of an arc piece and formed in the main cover, then the hinge shaft can be rotatably supported, but the bearing and hinge shaft considerably protrude from the box body, increasing the size of the electrical connection box
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge shaft is nested within the bearing structure, which is integrated into the main cover. The bearing is formed as a recessed cavity within the main cover body rather than as a separate protruding arc piece, allowing the hinge shaft to rotate while remaining contained within the box body boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing function is merged with the main cover structure. Instead of using a separate arc piece bearing that protrudes outward, the bearing is combined with the main cover by forming a bearing recess directly in the main cover body, eliminating the need for external protrusion.
2Reliability
If the bearing is made of an arc piece and formed in the main cover, then the hinge shaft can be rotatably supported, but the shape of the bearing becomes complicated, making die cutting difficult or requiring slide molds that increase manufacturing facility size
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing structure is segmented into a simple recessed cavity form rather than a complex external arc piece. This segmentation allows the bearing function to be achieved through a straightforward molded recess in the main cover, which can be produced using conventional injection molding techniques without requiring complex slide molds or die cutting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding material outward to create a protruding arc piece bearing, the solution inverts the approach by removing material inward to create a recessed bearing cavity. This inversion simplifies the mold design, as the bearing structure is now formed by a simple negative cavity in the mold rather than requiring complex positive arc-shaped inserts or slide mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the relief terminal protrudes from the block, then power can be supplied using a booster cable, but the terminal cover and support structures must also protrude or be complex to accommodate the relief terminal
Solution Approach 1:
The cover support function is merged with the block structure. The first cover support section is formed as an integrated portion of the block body, providing support for the terminal cover without requiring separate external support structures. This integration maintains the relief terminal's accessibility while simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal cover is nested within the space defined by the block and frame structures. The first cover support section (from the block) and second cover support section (from the frame) create a nested support system that holds the terminal cover in place without requiring the supports to protrude beyond the necessary boundaries.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Provided is an electrical connection box that can be made small while improving manufacturing efficiency and preventing an increase in manufacturing costs. The electrical connection box includes a block (2) and a frame (1) which accommodates the block. The block (2) is configured to include a terminal support section (2C) which supports a relief terminal section (3B) of a bus bar (3) in a state in which the relief terminal section (3B) of a bus bar (3) is protruded, and a first cover support section (25) which is provided in the vicinity of the terminal support section (2C). The frame (1) is configured to include an insertion hole (14) into which the relief terminal section (3B) is inserted when the block (2) is accommodated, and a second cover support section (18) which is provided in the vicinity of the insertion hole (14). A terminal cover (4) is rotatably supported around a shaft section, with the shaft section being interposed between the first cover support section (25) and the second cover support section (18) in an accommodation state in which the block (2) is accommodated in the frame (1).