JP2000201419A - Electric circuit material and electric connection box provided therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form electric circuit materials capable of dealing with various circuit shapes by combining uniting individual materials and item materials for terminals. SOLUTION: An electric circuit material 10 is formed by combining individual materials for terminals 12-1 to 12-7 provided with vertical parts 12d-1, etc., and horizontal parts 12e-1, etc., and uniting individual materials 11-1 to 11-8 in the shape of a strip, causing them to correspond to required circuit shapes, as a bus-bar for constituting an internal circuit to be put in an electric connection box, and connecting them by welding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric circuit member and an electric connection box provided with the electric circuit member.
The upper and lower cases that make up the electrical junction box and the electrical circuit materials that make up the internal circuit have versatility, so that they can be applied to different types of vehicles, etc., and can easily respond to circuit changes. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electric junction box in which a branch circuit is accommodated in a junction box or the like, a circuit may be formed at a high density by connecting electric wires and bus bars by pressure welding or the like. The bus bar is often used for a power supply circuit or the like where a large current flows.

For example, in the electric junction box shown in FIG. 10, an electric wire (single core wire) w-1 is laid inside the lower case 1 and the upper case 2 and arranged in the lowermost layer, and a first insulating plate is placed thereon. 6A, the bus bar 7, and the second insulating plate 6B are stacked and arranged, and the electric wire w-2 is arranged on the uppermost layer.
A slot 7A having a press-contact blade at a tip protruding from the bus bar 7 is press-connected to the electric wires w-1 and w-2, and a connector 3 and a relay socket provided integrally with the lower case 1 and the upper case 2 are provided. 4 and the like, and the press contact terminals 5 and the female terminals are inserted into the electric wire w-.
1, w-2 to form a high-density internal circuit.

[0004]

The busbar accommodated in the electric junction box is adapted to the shape of the internal circuit.
The conductive metal plate is stamped into the required shape, formed by bending and tapping, and the internal circuit differs depending on the vehicle type and specifications. Become. The above punching process is performed by a punching press machine using a die for punching,
Since this die is also required for each required shape to be punched out, various types of dies must be manufactured, which is very costly. Furthermore, if the internal circuit is changed due to improvements, even with the same vehicle model and specifications, there is a problem that the shape of the busbar is fixed, so it is not easy to respond to circuit changes, and existing busbars If this is not possible, it is necessary to manufacture a new bus bar, and there is a problem that it takes time and effort to design and the like.

The upper and lower lower case and upper case constituting the electric connection box are also made to correspond to the shape of the internal circuit, so that they are dedicated to a specific vehicle type and specification, and various types of lower case and upper case are manufactured. In this respect, there is also a problem of increasing costs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and does not manufacture a dedicated bus bar for each vehicle type or specification, but uses an electric circuit material configured by combining basic parts as the bus bar. Thus, it is a first object to make it possible to easily cope with a change in a different vehicle type or a circuit at a low cost. A second object is to standardize the lower case and the upper case, etc., which constitute the electric connection box, and to have versatility.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a bus bar, which is housed as an internal circuit of an electric junction box, in a substantially L-shape or a U-shape in which a terminal is formed at the tip of a vertical portion. Single terminal material with vertical and horizontal parts including
A continuous material of a fixed width is formed by combining a strip-shaped connecting material cut in a required length, and the connecting material is arranged in a horizontal direction and overlapped with the horizontal portion of the terminal material. The present invention provides an electric circuit member characterized by being connected by welding or rivets, and sequentially connecting and connecting the single terminal materials through the single connection material.

[0008] As described above, the bus bar is formed by combining the single material for the terminal and the single material for the connection, and the electric circuit material formed by welding or the like is the place where the bus bar is used.
By using the internal circuit at a location where a large current flows, the internal circuit can be configured without using a bus bar formed by conventional punching. Accordingly, various types of punching dies are not required, and the cost required for manufacturing the dies can be significantly reduced.

Further, since the electric circuit materials are configured by combining individual materials based on the designed circuit,
If the circuit is configured so that these single materials can be shared,
As a flexible circuit configuration, it can be adapted to any circuit, and can have versatility for different models and specifications. Further, it is possible to easily cope with circuit changes by appropriately combining the individual materials. The connection used for this combination can be easily and reliably connected by welding such as resistance welding or laser welding or by using rivets. As a connection method other than the above, soldering may be used.

In addition, the above-mentioned terminal material is commonly used for many types of vehicles, and includes a tab having a vertical end, a slot notched with a pressure contact blade at the vertical end, and a vertical end having a tab. One having a female terminal portion, one having a vertical portion at both ends of a horizontal portion connected to the single piece of material for connection, and having one of a tab, a slot, and a female terminal at the tip of both vertical portions. preferable. As described above, by providing the tab at the end of the vertical portion and directly inserting the tab into the connector such as the lower case, the connection circuit portion to the external circuit can be easily formed. Further, by providing a slot provided with a pressure contact blade at the tip of another vertical portion, pressure connection with an electric wire inside the electric connection box can be performed, so that an internal circuit with a different layer can be easily connected. Further, by providing a female terminal at the tip of another vertical portion, a tab such as an electric circuit material of a different layer can be inserted,
Connection of electric circuit materials of different layers can be easily performed.

[0011] Further, the plurality of connection single materials are overlapped in a linear, orthogonal or oblique direction and connected by welding or rivets, and the terminal single material is connected to a required position by the connection form of the connection single materials. are doing. in this way,
By overlapping and connecting the strip-shaped connecting single materials, the base portion of the electric circuit material can be formed in a required shape, and further, the terminal single material is connected to a required position on the base portion. Since a required circuit can be configured, it can easily cope with various designed circuit shapes. In addition, since the connection between the above-mentioned connected single-piece materials is performed by welding or rivets, it is possible to ensure connection reliability and the like. Other than the connection method described above, soldering may be used.

Further, the present invention provides an electric junction box containing the electric circuit material as a power circuit. By using the electric circuit material formed as described above as a power supply circuit, an internal circuit can be formed without using a bus bar for a conventional power supply circuit, which was required for manufacturing a mold and the like. Costs can be reduced.

[0013] In the electric junction box of the present invention, electric wires are routed along the inner surface of the lower case and the inner surface of the upper case.
The press-connecting terminals attached to the lower case and the upper case are connected to the electric wires, and the upper and lower electric wires are connected by a connecting bus bar arranged along the side surface of the case.
As described above, by separating and stacking the electric wires housed inside the electric junction box, the electric junction box can be easily manufactured, and the electric circuit material to be arranged between these electric wires can be laminated. Can be easily performed. The connection of the electric wires in the upper and lower layers necessary for forming the internal circuit can be easily performed by arranging connection bus bars along the side surface of the case and connecting the electric wires to the connection bus bars.

Further, in the electric connection box of the present invention, the upper case has an electronic control unit accommodating portion, and the lower case and the upper case have connectors,
It is preferable to have an opening through which a relay socket and / or a fuse socket can be detachably mounted and fixed. As described above, by making it possible to accommodate the electronic control unit, the electric connection box can be used more effectively, and electrical connections can be gathered in one place to some extent, so that the external circuit The wiring harness arrangement can also be consolidated.

Further, the lower case and the upper case constituting the electric connection box are provided with an opening through which a connector and the like can be removably mounted, so that the connector and the like can be mounted according to the circuit shape and the like. Versatility arises, and it is possible to easily cope with circuits of various shapes. In addition, by providing versatility, necessary types can be reduced, and costs can be reduced.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an electric circuit member 10 according to the present invention.
1 to 11-8, vertical parts 12d-1 to 12d-7, and horizontal parts 12e-1 to 12e-7. .

The above-mentioned strip-shaped single connecting materials 11-1 to 11-11
-8 is a continuous material D which is a long conductive plate such as a brass plate or a copper alloy having a constant thickness t and a constant width w as shown in FIG.
-1 is cut to a required length. The constant thickness t and the constant width w of the continuous material D-1 have a cross-sectional area enough to cope with the value of the current flowing through the conductive plate D-1, and are different from those of other connecting single materials or terminal single materials. When connecting, the dimensions are set to have a sufficient contact area. In addition, the required cutting length is cut in accordance with the designed circuit shape. The cutting length may be set to various standard dimensions so as to have versatility.

On the other hand, the terminal single materials 12-1 to 12-7
Are vertical portions 12d-1 and 12d-5 as shown in FIG.
Notches such as single terminal materials 12-1, 12-5, etc., whose ends are tabs 12a-1, 12a-5, etc., and slots 12b-2, etc., provided with press-contact blades at the ends of vertical portions 12d-2, etc. There is a type such as a single terminal material 12-2 or the like, and a 12-6 or the like having a female terminal portion 12c-6 at the end of the vertical portion.
Further, the overall shape is substantially L including a vertical portion and a horizontal portion.
There are a single terminal material 12-1 and the like having a substantially U-shape, a single material 12-4 for the terminal having a substantially U shape, and the like. Vertical section 1 at both ends
2d-4 and 12d-4, and a single U-shaped terminal material is provided with tabs 12a and slots 12 at the ends of both vertical portions.
b, female terminal 12c.

As shown in FIG. 3, the substantially L-shaped terminal material 12-1 and the like are formed by using a stamping press or the like to cut a single conductive plate D-2 made of a brass plate or a copper alloy. The sheet is punched into a required shape and bent to form a substantially L-shape having a vertical portion 12d and a horizontal portion 12e. At the time of the above punching, those having the tab 12a at the tip on the side that becomes the vertical portion 12d are punched so as to form the tab 12a, and those having the press contact blade are punched so as to cut out the slot 12b. . In addition, those having a female terminal are punched into a shape capable of forming a female terminal.

Thereafter, a portion (hatched portion in the figure) that is not necessary for forming the circuit is cut off, and a substantially L-shaped terminal material 12-
1 and so on. After the above cutting, the female terminal is formed at the end of the vertical portion by bending or the like to form the female terminal. Note that the order of the above manufacturing procedure may be appropriately changed in consideration of workability and the like.

Further, the above-mentioned single U-shaped terminal material 12-
4A and the like, as shown in FIG. 4A, similarly to the above, the conductive plate D-2 ′ is formed into a substantially U shape by punching and bending, and unnecessary portions (hatched portions in the drawing) are formed. It is cut into a substantially U-shape having two vertical portions 12d at both ends of a horizontal portion 12e. Note that the positional relationship between the vertical portions 12d is not limited to the positional relationship facing each other as described above, and, for example, as shown in FIGS.
The positional relationship between 2d 'and 12d "may not be mutually opposed.

The above-mentioned substantially L-shaped or substantially U-shaped terminal single material 1
2-1 and the like are not limited to one vehicle type or specification, but are shared by other vehicle types. Standardization of the dimensions of the vertical portion 12d and the horizontal portion 12e further generalizes the use as standard parts. May be achieved. In addition, the shape of the single terminal material is not limited to the substantially L-shape or the substantially U-shape as described above, and the shape is not limited as long as the vertical and horizontal portions are provided.

The electric circuit material 10 shown in FIG. 1 is obtained by combining the above-mentioned connecting single-piece materials 11-1 and the like and the terminal single-piece materials 12-1 and the like, and arranging the connecting single-piece materials 11-1 and the like in the horizontal direction. , And is connected to the horizontal portion of the terminal material 12-1 and the like by welding, and the terminal material 12-1 and the like are sequentially connected via the connection material 11-1 and the like. More specifically, the connection single material 11-1 and the like are overlapped in a linear direction and an orthogonal direction in accordance with the designed circuit shape and welded and connected to form a connection form serving as a base. The terminal material 12-1 and the like are connected by welding to required positions corresponding to the designed circuit. Note that the direction in which the connecting single-piece materials 11-1 and the like are stacked may be an oblique direction.

In the welding for connection and connection, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the connection single material 11-4 is brought into contact with the terminal single material 12-5 and the connection single material 11-7. The contact portion is welded by sandwiching the contact portion with a resistance welding electrode (not shown). Spot welding or the like is used for the resistance welding, and laser welding, ultrasonic welding, or the like may be used as another welding method.

Other than welding, as shown in FIG.
The connection may be made with rivets 13. Rivet 1
In the case where 3 is used, in the punching process at the time of manufacturing the connection single material 11 and the terminal single material 12, the insertion holes 11f-4,
12f-5 and the like, and the insertion hole 11f-
4 and 12f-5, the connecting single material 11 and the terminal single material 12 are overlapped, and the rivet 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 1.
1f-4 and 12f-5 are inserted, and a rivet hammer (not shown) is used to form a fastening head for connection.
Other insertion holes are connected by rivets in the same manner as described above. As a connection method other than the above, connection may be performed by soldering.

The electric circuit material 10 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, but is adapted to various designed circuit shapes, and the connecting single material 11 and the terminal single material 12 are respectively formed. In combination, various shapes of electric circuit materials can be formed.

FIG. 6 shows an electric connection box 20 containing the electric circuit material 10 constructed as described above as a power supply circuit.
Is shown. The electric connection box 20 includes a lower case 21 and an upper case 22, and the electric circuit member 10 is arranged between a lower electric wire w-1 and an upper electric wire w-2.

The lower case 21 and the upper case 22 shown in FIGS. 7 (A) and 7 (B) are formed of resin, and the lower surface 21a of the lower case 21 and the upper surface 22 of the upper case 22 are formed.
a has an opening 21b in which a connector 23, a relay socket 24, and a fuse socket 25 can be removably mounted and fixed;
22b-1, 22b-2 and 22b-3 are provided. Note that these openings 21b, 22b-1 and the like are shown in FIG.
The state is not limited to the state shown in (B), and the required number of openings may be formed in accordance with the number of connection points between the internal circuit and the external circuit housed in the electric connection box and the required number of relays and fuses. , May be provided. Further, a part of the upper surface 22a of the upper case 22 is provided with an electronic control unit accommodating portion 22c having a rectangular shape and a peripheral wall.
Note that the shape of the electronic control unit housing portion 22c is not limited to the above shape, and the electronic control unit
It is adapted to the shape of 0 as appropriate.

FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C show the above-mentioned opening 21.
b, 22b-1, etc., a connector 23, a relay socket 24, and a fuse socket 25 are shown. FIG.
The connector 23 shown in FIG. 2A has the press-contact terminal 26 inserted thereinto, and a connector (not shown) for an external circuit is inserted into the connector fitting portion 23b.
Are connected to the internal circuit. Further, a flange portion 23a is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the connector 23 for stability during mounting. The size of the connector 23 may be variously set in accordance with the number of terminals to be connected, and these dimensions may be set to standard dimensions in order to share the connector 23.

The relay socket 24 in FIG. 8B is a socket for inserting a relay (not shown), and has a relay insertion portion 24b on the upper surface and a flange portion 24a on the outer periphery. The fuse socket 25 shown in FIG. 8C is a socket for inserting a fuse (not shown).
b, a flange 25a is provided on the outer periphery in the same manner as described above. Standard dimensions may be set in order to share the outer diameter of the relay socket 24 and the fuse socket 25 and the like.

First, the procedure for manufacturing the electric junction box 20 is as follows: the lower case 21 and the openings 21b, 22b of the upper case 22.
-1, etc., a connector 23, a relay socket 24, and a fuse socket 25 are mounted and fixed. In addition, a closing lid 26 shown in FIG. 8D is attached to the opening 21b or the like where it is not necessary to attach the connector 23 or the like due to the circuit configuration.
b, etc. are closed. If it is necessary to fix the connector 23 or the like more firmly, the connector 23 or the like may be fixed by welding or using an adhesive.

Next, as shown in FIG.
And the upper case 22 with the inner surface facing upward,
An electric wire (single core wire) w is drawn by a single stroke across the gap C along the inner surfaces of the lower case 21 and the upper case 22 with a gap C therebetween. It is connected by pressure welding. After the electric wire w is wired in this manner, the electric wire w is cut at the gap C as shown by a two-dot chain line in the drawing, and separated into an electric wire w-1 on the lower case 21 side and an electric wire w-2 on the upper case 22 side. ing.

After cutting the electric wires as described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the electric circuit member 10 is disposed between the electric wires w-1 and w-2, and the tab 12a of the electric circuit member 10 is attached. The slot 12b is inserted into the electric wire w-
1, w-2, and the female terminal 12c is positioned below the relay socket 24 and the like, and the lower case 21 and the upper case 22 are combined to form the electric connection box 20. The connection between the electric wires w-1 and w-2 for forming the internal circuit of the electric connection box 20 is performed by the connection bus bar 2.
7 is performed.

The connecting bus bar 27 is formed in a required shape from a conductive plate as shown in FIG.
The upper and lower ends are bent at 90 degrees to form upper and lower horizontal portions 27b, 27
c, and press contact blades 27d and 27e are provided at the tips of the upper and lower horizontal portions 27b and 27c, respectively. The connection bus bar 27 is arranged along the side surfaces of the lower case 21 and the upper case 22 to connect the connection locking portions 21d on the side surfaces of the case.
22d, and the electric wire w-
1, w-2. Then, the protective cover 2
8 is attached.

An electronic control unit 30 composed of a printed circuit board having various electronic components is mounted on the electronic control unit housing portion 22c of the upper case 22, and a cover 29 having a connector 29a is mounted thereon. It is trying to centralize electrical components.

The procedure for manufacturing the electric junction box is not limited to the above, and the order may be appropriately changed in consideration of workability and the like. Further, the form of the electric connection box is not limited to the above-described form. For example, a connector or the like may be integrated with the lower case or the upper case to have a simple structure.
It is not always necessary to mount the electric control unit. Further, a plurality of electric wires and electric circuit members may be arranged with an insulating plate or the like interposed therebetween to form a multilayer structure. Further, the electric circuit material may be used not only for the power supply circuit but also for a circuit for other purposes in the internal circuit.

[0037]

As is apparent from the above description, the use of the electric circuit material of the present invention eliminates the need for a complicated mold corresponding to the electric circuit shape required for forming a conventional bus bar, and greatly Cost can be reduced. In addition, since the electric circuit material of the present invention is formed by combining a single component material for connection and a single component material for terminals, various combinations of circuit shapes can be accommodated by these combinations. Sharing can be achieved. Further, it is possible to easily cope with a circuit change or the like accompanying the improvement by changing a combination of the above-mentioned single materials.

Also in the electric connection box provided with the electric circuit material, the connection of the upper and lower electric wires by the connection bus bar facilitates the manufacture of the electric connection box and the lower case constituting the electric connection box. Also, by allowing connectors and the like to be freely attached to and detached from the upper case, the above-mentioned case can be provided with versatility and flexibility with respect to the circuit. Versatility can also be improved. Furthermore, by allowing the electronic control unit to be accommodated in the upper case, electronic and electrical components that need to be connected to an external circuit can be centralized in the electrical junction box, and the wiring harness that is responsible for the connection of each circuit Performance can also be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electric circuit material of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a manufacturing process of a single material for connection of an electric circuit material.

3A and 3B are a plan view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a manufacturing process of a single terminal material having a substantially L shape.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a plan view and a perspective view, respectively, showing a manufacturing process of a single U-shaped terminal material; FIGS.
It is a perspective view which shows another single material for terminals of substantially U shape.

5A and 5B are perspective views showing a connection state between a connection single material and a terminal single material, and FIG.
(B) is a perspective view showing a connection state by rivets.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the electric junction box of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a lower case, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view of an upper case.

8A is a perspective view of a connector, FIG. 8B is a perspective view of a relay socket, FIG. 8C is a perspective view of a fuse socket, and FIG. 8D is a perspective view of a closing lid.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a manufacturing process of the electric junction box.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional electric junction box.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 21 Lower case 2, 22 Upper case 10 Electric circuit material 11-1 to 11-8 Single material for connection 12-1 to 12-7 Single material for terminal 23 Connector 24 Relay socket 25 Fuse socket 27 Bus bar for connection 30 Electronic control Unit w-1, w-2 electric wire

Claims (6)

[Claims] A single terminal material having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion including a substantially L-shape and a substantially U-shape having a terminal formed at a tip of a vertical portion, wherein the bus bar is housed as an internal circuit of an electric junction box. A continuous material having a width is cut in a required length and formed in combination with a strip-shaped connecting material, and the connecting material is disposed in a horizontal direction and overlapped with the horizontal portion of the terminal material to be welded. Alternatively, the electric circuit material is formed by connecting with a rivet and sequentially connecting the single terminal materials through the single connection material. 2. The terminal unit material is commonly used for various types of vehicles, and includes a tab at a vertical end, a slot notched with a press-contact blade at the vertical end, and a terminal at a vertical end. It is provided with a female terminal portion, a vertical portion at both ends of a horizontal portion connected to the connecting single material, and a tab, a slot, or a female terminal at the end of both vertical portions. The electric circuit material according to claim 1. 3. A plurality of connection single materials are overlapped in a linear, orthogonal or oblique direction and connected by welding or rivets, and the terminal single material is connected to a required position by a connection form of the connection single materials. The electric circuit material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 4. An electric junction box containing the electric circuit material according to claim 1 as a power supply circuit. 5. An electric wire is wired along an inner surface of the lower case and an inner surface of the upper case, and a press-contact terminal attached to the lower case and the upper case is connected to the electric wire;
The electric connection box according to claim 4, wherein the upper and lower electric wires are connected by a connection bus bar arranged along a side surface of the case, and the electric circuit material is arranged between the upper and lower electric wires. 6. An electronic control unit accommodating portion is provided in the upper case, and the lower case and the upper case are provided with an opening through which a connector, a relay socket and / or a fuse socket can be detachably mounted and fixed. An electrical junction box according to claim 4 or claim 5.