Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-11
2001-06-12
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C174S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244876
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a busbar laminate assembly structure to be housed in an electrical connection box, and more specifically to a busbar laminate assembly structure in which a plurality of busbars is assembled in a laminated form under an electrically isolated condition through an insulation plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrical connection box is used for housing electrical equipment containing various electrical circuits and electronic components for automobiles and the like, and is also used as a connection junction for wire harnesses and the like.
Generally, in an electrical connection box, a busbar is housed as a wiring board connected with terminals of various electrical equipment. Such a busbar forms a laminated structure, thereby making it possible to produce complicated wiring.
Below follows a description of the conventional assembly structure of such busbars in reference to
FIGS. 5-7
. As shown in
FIG. 5
, a wiring board
40
is formed of first to fourth busbars
1
F to
4
F formed with certain respective wiring patterns, and first to fourth insulation plates IP
1
to IP
4
which electrically isolate respective laminates between busbars
1
F to
4
F.
As shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, respective terminal strips
41
to
44
are bent to a vertical direction (i.e., orthogonal to the busbars and insulation plates) at a predetermined position of respective laminate of busbars
1
F to
4
F. The length of respective terminal strips
41
and
44
are set so that the strips are positioned of the same height in a laminate assembled condition as described later. Therefore, the terminal strip
41
of the first laminate busbar
1
F is set as the shortest terminal strip while the terminal strip
44
of the fourth laminate busbar
4
F is the longest terminal strip.
At the position corresponding to the aforementioned respective terminal strips
41
to
44
on the first laminate insulation plate IP
1
, through-holes
51
a
to
51
d
are respectively provided. At the second laminate insulation plate IP
2
, a fastening hole
52
is provided at a position corresponding to the terminal strip
42
, while through-hole
53
a
and
53
b
are provided at the positions corresponding to respective terminal strips
43
and
44
. At the third laminate insulation plate IP
3
, a fastening hole
54
is provided at the position corresponding to the terminal strip
43
, while a through-hole
55
is provided at the position corresponding to the terminal strip
44
. At the fourth laminate insulation plate IP
4
, a fastening hole
56
is provided at the position corresponding to the terminal strip
44
.
The respective through-holes
51
a
to
51
d,
53
a,
53
b,
and
55
are each provided on respective laminate insulation plates IP
1
to IP
4
form a rectangular hole, with its shorter dimension t
2
being greater than the plate thickness t
1
for the aforementioned respective terminal strips
41
to
44
, thereby making it possible for respectively corresponding terminal strips
41
to
44
to easily be inserted into respective through-holes
51
a
to
51
d,
53
a,
53
b,
and
55
. In addition, the fastening hole
52
,
54
and
56
form a tapered opening in an inserting direction for receiving respective terminal strips
42
to
44
as shown in FIG.
6
. The width of the upper edge of the fastening hole
52
,
54
, and
56
is narrower than the plate thickness t
1
of the respective terminal strips
41
to
44
. Terminal strips
42
to
44
can thus be press-fit into respective fastening holes
52
,
54
, and
56
.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, each laminate of busbars
1
F to
4
F is assembled in a laminated state, by press-fitting each of the terminal strips
42
to
44
into a respective fastening hole
52
,
54
and
55
; and by inserting respective terminal strips
41
to
44
into respective corresponding through-holes
51
a
to
51
d,
53
a,
53
b,
and
55
. In this case, the lowest portion of the base edge (i.e., the bent portion)
42
′,
43
′ and
44
′ of respective terminal strips
42
to
44
is held and then fastened between the fastening holes
52
,
54
, and
56
, respectively.
It is necessary to bend the terminal strips
41
to
44
in such a manner that each forms a right angle to respective laminate busbars
1
F to
4
F. Since the bending for terminal strips
41
to
44
is subjected to plastic deformation and retains a slight elastic rebound, there is a limit to the bending accuracy for the respective terminal strips
41
to
44
. Therefore, since it is difficult to bend respective terminal strips accurately to the vertical direction (i.e., orthogonal to the busbars), the normal state of terminal strips
41
to
44
has often been slightly obliquely inclined from the vertical direction.
For example, when the terminal strip
44
on tie fourth laminate busbar
4
F is bent under a slightly inclined state, as shown in
FIG. 7
, the terminal strip
44
becomes inclined by an angle &thgr; from the original position (i.e., vertical), as illustrated with a two-dot chain line, even when in a laminate assembled condition. This inclination is caused by a shorter dimension t
2
of the respective through-holes
51
d,
53
b,
and
55
being set wider than the thickness t
1
of the terminal strip
44
, thereby contributing to the degree of freedom of the terminal strip
44
that exists in the through-holes
51
d,
53
b,
and
55
; and the terminal strip
44
being held and then fastened only on the nearest fastening hole
56
to the bent portion. The terminal strip
44
is thus inclined by angle &thgr;, the top edge position of terminal strip
44
comes to a position shifted by a distance d from the original position.
Consequently, positioning difficulties have been encountered when mounting a connector, electrical component, and the like on the terminal strip
44
. The difficulty of insertion/withdrawal of connectors, electrical components, and the like to the terminal strip becomes greater, thereby causing possible mounting failures.
It is thus desirable to provide a busbar laminate assembly structure capable of maintaining the bending accuracy of the terminal strip bent under the busbar laminate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a busbar laminate assembly structure. The invention includes a plurality of busbars each having a bent portion, and a plurality of terminal strips, a respective terminal strip depending from a respective bent portion of each busbar. Additionally provided is a plurality of insulation plates, a respective insulation plate located above a respective busbar and adapted to electrically isolate each respective busbar. The insulation plates comprise a through-hole adapted to accept a terminal strip therethrough, and according to one aspect of the invention, a fastening hole adapted to fasten a terminal strip is provided, the fastening hole being provided on the insulation plate farthest from the bent portion of the terminal strip. Additionally, the width of the fastening hole may be greater than, less than or equal to the thickness of the terminal strip. The fastening hole may further include a tapered opening to facilitate the insertion of the terminal strip
According to another aspect of the invention, a protrusion is provided on the terminal strip, the projection being adapted to press-fit a terminal strip to a through-hole.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the projection of each terminal strip is present between a predetermined distance from the tip of the terminal strip and the bent portion.
Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4057843 (1977-11-01), Saligny
patent: 4781621 (1988-11-01), Sugiyama et al.
patent: 5023752 (1991-06-01), Detter et al.
patent: 5067905 (1991-11-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 5144530 (1992-09-01), Cohen et al.
patent: 5322445 (1994-06-01), Ozaki et al.
patent: 5525758 (1996-06-01), Kur
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Patel Dhiru R
Reichard Dean A.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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