JPH0950852A - Electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid the external projection of a terminal projected into the connector housing part where a mating connector is not housed, and yet enable the terminal to come in contact with a continuity test probe pin. SOLUTION: A protection wall 21 to cover a projected terminal is provided on a connector housing part 13A projected from the external surface of a case and not used for mounting a mating connector, as integral part of the case. Also, a recess 25 is formed on the upper end of the protection wall, so as to insert a continuity test probe pin for the contact thereof with a terminal end 12a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric connection box for connecting a wire harness for an automobile, etc., and more particularly to a connector housing part projecting from the outer surface of the case of the electric connection box when a mating connector is not housed. While covering the terminal that is projected and exposed in the accommodating portion, the probe pin for continuity test can be contacted with the covered terminal,
The continuity test can be performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electrical components mounted on a vehicle are different due to different vehicle types or grades and destinations of the same vehicle, but the same electrical connection box is often used in common. May or may not be fitted with the mating connector in the connector accommodating portion protrudingly provided on the outer surface of the case of the electric connection box.

When the mating connector is not attached, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal 2 composed of a bus bar male tab or the like is inserted into the connector accommodating portion 3 from the inside of the case of the electric junction box 1.
It will be exposed and protruding. Therefore, FIG. 6 (A)
As shown in (B), a protective wall 4 that completely surrounds the terminal 2 and hides the terminal 2 is provided, and foreign matter or the like enters the connector accommodating portion 3 and comes into contact with the terminal 2 to cause a problem such as a short circuit. Is being prevented. The protective wall 4 is usually the electrical junction box 1
When the case is molded, the insert is inserted into the case molding die so as to integrally project from the bottom wall of the connector accommodating portion 3 so as to surround the terminal hole.

[0004]

The electrical junction box accommodates an internal circuit member such as a bus bar inside the case, and the continuity test is performed as shown in FIG. 7 in a state where the upper case and the lower case are assembled. Done. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 5 in which the mating connector is fitted, the circuit continuity test can be performed by bringing the probe pin 5 for the conductivity test into contact with the terminal 2 exposed in the connector accommodating portion 3. , Fig. 6
As shown in (A) and (B), when the terminal 2 is hidden by being surrounded by the protective wall 4, the probe pin 5 cannot be brought into contact with the terminal 2 to perform the continuity test.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG.
Male tab-shaped terminal 2 formed by bending the bus bar 6
However, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), when the bend 7 or the like is generated in the bent portion, it cannot be detected by the continuity test.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. Even when the terminal of the connector accommodating portion that does not accommodate the mating connector is covered with the protective wall, the continuity test probe pin can be brought into contact with the terminal and the conductivity test is performed. The purpose is to be able to do.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the upper case and / or
Alternatively, in an electrical connection box in which a terminal of a conductive material is projected from the inside of the case in a connector housing portion protruding on the outer surface of the lower case, in a case in which the mating connector is not housed in the connector housing portion, a terminal protruding from the inside of the case is used. While forming a protective wall that covers the outer periphery with the case,
The present invention provides an electrical connection box, which is provided with a recess at the upper end of the protective wall, into which a probe pin for a continuity test is inserted and which can abut against a tip of a terminal.

It is preferable that the case in which the mating connector is not accommodated in the connector accommodating portion and the case in which the mating connector is accommodated in the connector accommodating portion are formed by using the same mold and the nests are exchanged. (Claim 2) However, it goes without saying that the mold provided with the protective wall may be provided separately from the mold not provided with the protective wall, and the mold may be used for molding.

[0009]

According to the electric connection box of the first aspect of the present invention, when the mating connector is not accommodated in the connector accommodating portion, the connector accommodating portion is integrally formed with a protective wall for covering the periphery of the terminal. Therefore, the terminal itself can be protected and foreign matter mixed in the connector housing can be prevented from coming into contact with the terminal. On the other hand, since a recess for inserting the probe pin for the continuity test is provided at the upper end of the protective wall that covers the terminal, the probe pin for the continuity test is inserted through the recess and brought into contact with the terminal tip inside the protective wall. The continuity test can be performed.

As described in claim 2, the same molding die is used for both cases where the mating connector is attached to the connector accommodating portion and both cases where the mating connector is not attached. It can be used properly only by nesting or not.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The upper case 11 of the electrical junction box shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is provided with a connector accommodating portion 13A that does not accommodate a mating connector. The connector accommodating portion 13A projects in a frame shape from the case upper surface 11a of the upper case 11, and the bottom wall 22 of the connector accommodating portion 13A.
The protective wall 21 is integrally provided upright from the four sides of the elongated rectangular terminal hole 20 formed in the (top surface of the case).

The protective wall 21 has a rectangular frame shape in which the terminal 12 protruding into the connector accommodating portion 13A through the terminal hole 20 is fitted, and a hollow portion having a rectangular cross section serves as a terminal insertion hole 21a communicating with the terminal hole 20. There is. The terminal insertion hole 21a
The inner surface of is substantially in close contact with the outer surface of the terminal 12 and is set so that foreign matter including dust does not enter between the terminal insertion hole 21a and the terminal 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, a notch 21c is provided on the upper end surface 21b of the protective wall 21 so as to face the central portions on both sides of the long side of the opened terminal insertion hole 21a. These notches 21c have a semicircular cross section that communicates with the terminal insertion hole 21a, and the notches 21c on both sides and the terminal insertion hole 21a in the center,
A recess 25 having a circular cross section into which the probe pin 5 for continuity test shown in FIG. 1 can be inserted is formed.

The height H of the protection wall 21 and the depth D of the recess 25 correspond to the height of the terminal 12 protruding into the connector accommodating portion 13A, and the terminal insertion hole 21a of the protection wall 21.
As shown in FIG. 2 (B), the tip of the terminal 12 inserted in is set so as to be located inside the recess 25.

As described above, the protective wall 21 is provided in the connector accommodating portion 13A of the electrical junction box, the concave portion 25 for inserting the probe pin is formed at the upper end of the protective wall 21, and the terminal 12 is surrounded by the protective wall 21. At the same time, only the tip portion 12 a of the terminal 12 is exposed in the recess 25. When the terminal 12 is thus housed in the protective wall 21, as shown in FIG. 1, the probe pin 5 is inserted into the recess 25 and brought into contact with the terminal tip portion 12a exposed in the recess 25, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the continuity test can be performed. In addition, the tip portion 12 of the terminal 12
Since a is surrounded by the concave portion 25 and the protective wall 21 is closely adhered to the lower part of the tip portion 12a, the terminal 12 comes into contact with other members or foreign matter that enter the inside of the connector accommodating portion 13A. Can be surely prevented. In addition, in FIG. 1, the terminal is shown inserted into the left protection wall 21, but the terminal 12 is omitted for clarity of the shape of the protection wall 21.

When the mating connector is to be accommodated in the connector accommodating portion of the electrical junction box, it is the same as in FIG.
As shown in (A) and (B), only by providing the terminal hole 20 in the bottom wall 22 of the connector accommodating portion 13B, the terminal 12 is projected into the connector accommodating portion 13B from the terminal hole 20. Since the terminal 12 is exposed inside the connector accommodating portion 13B, as shown in FIG. 7, the continuity test can be performed by bringing the probe pin 5 for continuity test into contact therewith.

The upper case 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (A) and (B), which has the connector housing 13A to which the mating connector is not mounted, and the connector housing to which the mating connector shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B) is mounted. As shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the upper case 11 ′ provided with the portion 13 </ b> B forms the connector accommodating portions 13 </ b> A and 13 </ b> B using the same molding die including the upper and lower dies 31 and 32. The parts are molded by exchanging the nests 33 and 34.

That is, the connector accommodating portion 1 having no protective wall
3B is a connector accommodating portion 13B as shown in FIG.
The insert 33, which is not provided with cavities, is inserted and molded in the region where On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 (B), the connector accommodating portion 13A provided with the protective wall 21 is formed by inserting a nest 34 having a cavity 34a for molding the protective wall 21 into a portion to be the connector accommodating portion 13A. Molded. It should be noted that the case may be formed by providing two types of upper molds for the case where the protective wall is provided in the connector accommodating portion and for the case where the protective wall is not provided, without replacing the nest as described above. The same applies when the lower metal mold is provided with the connector accommodating portion.

[0019]

As is apparent from the above description, in the electric connection box according to claim 1 of the present invention, the connector accommodating portion of the case that does not accommodate the mating connector is provided with the protective wall surrounding the terminal and the upper end thereof. Since the concave portion into which the probe pin for the continuity test can be inserted is provided, the continuity test of the terminal surrounded by the protective wall can be performed. In addition, the protective wall can prevent problems such as the terminal interfering with an external member and causing damage, or the terminal coming into contact with a foreign substance mixed in the connector housing and causing a short circuit.

In the electric connection box of the second aspect of the present invention, both when the connector accommodating portion is provided with the protective wall and when the protective wall is not provided,
It is possible to use the same molding die and simply replace the inserts, and it is possible to reduce the cost of forming the molding die.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing an electric connection box according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric connection box having a connector accommodating portion to which a mating connector is not attached.

2A is a plan view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is IV of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV.

3A is a plan view of a connector accommodating portion to which a mating connector is attached, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

4A is a partial cross-sectional view of a molding die of a case having the connector accommodating portion of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is a partial cross-section of a molding die of a case having the connector accommodating portion of FIG. It is a figure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a connector accommodating portion to which a conventional mating connector is attached.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a connector accommodating portion in which a conventional mating connector is not attached, and FIG. 6B is a partially cutaway view of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a continuity test using a probe pin.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing a terminal bent from a bus bar, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view showing a state in which a break has occurred between the terminal and the bus bar.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Probe pin for continuity test 11, 11 'Upper case 12 Terminal 13A, 13B Connector accommodating part 20 Terminal hole 21 Protective wall 21a Terminal insertion hole 21b Notch 25 Recess for probe pin insertion

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electrical connection box in which a terminal of a conductive material is projected from the inside of a case into a connector housing portion projecting on the outer surface of an upper case and / or a lower case, and in a case in which the mating connector is not housed in the connector housing portion. A protective wall that covers the outer periphery of the terminal protruding from the inside of the case is formed integrally with the case, and a recess is provided at the upper end of the protective wall so that a probe pin for a continuity test can be inserted and contacted with the tip of the terminal. An electrical junction box characterized by 2. The electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the case in which the mating connector is not accommodated in the connector accommodating portion and the case in which the mating connector is accommodated in the connector accommodating portion are molded in the same mold by changing the nests. Connection box.