Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-28
2001-09-04
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C439S074000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283769
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Description of Related Art
FIG. 5
shows an example of a conventional electric connecting box
41
mounted in an automobile and the like. The electric connecting box
41
is equipped with a bus-bar laminated body
44
, including a bus-bar
42
and an insulation base material
43
, and a printed circuit board
45
having the function of an ECU unit. On the upper surface of the printed circuit board
45
, various kinds of electronic components are mounted. Terminals of these electronic components are soldered to plated through-holes on the printed circuit board
45
. Both ends of the printed circuit board
45
are inserted into first insertion openings
49
of a connector
48
having a plurality of connecting terminals inside
47
. A plurality of exposed conductive portions
50
are provided on opposite ends of the printed circuit board
45
, such that when the end of the printed circuit board
45
is inserted into the first opening
49
, one end of each connecting terminal
47
press contacts the conductive portion
50
. On the other hand, at the second insertion opening
51
of the connector
48
, a male tab
42
a
formed on the tip of bus-bar
42
is inserted. At the male tab
42
a
, the other end of each connecting terminal
47
press contacts the male tab
42
a
. As a result, the side of the printed circuit board
45
and one of the bus-bar laminated bodies
44
are electrically connected. In this case, an exclusive insulation base material
52
is disposed between the printed circuit board
45
and bus-bar
42
in order to assure insulation between the soldered area on the printed circuit board
45
and the bus-bar
42
.
The connector
48
in the conventional electrical connecting box
41
is, however, only held by the pressing force at each connecting terminal
47
for the printed circuit board
45
. Therefore, positional displacement is easily brought about for the connector
48
, which is liable to impair the connection reliability between the printed circuit board
45
and the bus-bar laminated body
44
. In such a case, there may be a possibility that the male tab
42
a
may not be inserted into the second insertion opening
51
.
Furthermore, as shown in
FIG. 6
in the case of a conventional electric connecting box
41
which uses connectors
48
, the exposed conductive portion
50
is totally covered by the connector
48
, in addition to the necessity of providing the conductive portion
50
on both ends of the printed circuit board
45
. Therefore, a dead area
53
is formed that is occupied by the connector
48
, which makes it impossible to form other conductive patterns, thereby causing the problems of making the wiring and component-mounting area smaller on the printed circuit board
45
.
The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned problems, and an objective of the present invention is to provide connecting reliability between a printed circuit board and a bus-bar laminated body. In addition, another objective is to provide an electric connecting box that makes it difficult to generate any dead area on a printed circuit board.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connecting box housed in, for example, an automobile and the like, and is especially related to a connecting structure between a printed circuit board and a bus-bar laminated body in an electric connecting box.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention includes a bus-bar laminated body formed of a bus-bar and a insulation material, and a printed circuit board electrically connected with the bus-bar laminated body.
A connecting block is provided having a construction including a plurality of connecting terminals partially molded in a resin block, and that holds the connecting terminals relative to each other. A first end of each connecting terminal which projects from the resin block is soldered to a connector on one side of the printed circuit board, and a second end of each connecting terminal is fixed to a connecting area on the side of the aforementioned bus-bar laminated body.
The electric connection box of the present invention may also include a supporting face of the resin block that supports a surface of the printed circuit board in a non-bonded state, which surface mounts components of the printed circuit board.
The electric connecting box of the present invention may further include a connecting area of the bus-bar laminated body side formed to house a female connector, such as a relay terminal in a connector housing provided to extend upwardly from the insulated base material. A second end of each connecting terminal is then inserted into an opening area of the relay terminal.
Description follows of the function of the present invention. According to one aspect of the present invention, the first end of each connecting terminal is firmly fixed by soldering to a side of printed circuit board. Therefore, it is difficult to cause any positional displacement of the connecting block is unlikely, thereby preventing a reduction of the connecting reliability from occurring between the printed circuit board and the bus-bar laminated body. Furthermore, the use of such a connecting block makes it unnecessary to form an exclusive pad for connection, thereby avoiding a dead area on the printing circuit board.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the component-mounting surface of the printed circuit board is held by a holding surface of a resin block to positively position the printed circuit board at a predetermined height position. In addition, because the holding surface and the component-mounting surface are provided in a non-bonded condition, it is also possible to form a pattern at the position where the printed circuit board is held by the resin block.
In another aspect of the present invention, inserting the second end of the connecting terminals into the opening area of a relay terminal can fix the printed circuit board to the bus-bar laminated body by allowing the female connector to be electrically connected with the printed circuit board through respective connecting terminals on the connecting block. Furthermore, because the connector housing is provided to protrude from the insulation base material, it is relatively easy to secure a mounting height of the printed circuit board, thereby making the space between the bus-bar laminated body and the printed circuit board relatively larger than previously possible. In addition, a structure using a relay terminal makes it possible to insert and withdraw the second end of each connecting terminal into and from the female connector.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an electric connecting box is provided that includes an outer case, and a printed circuit board and a laminated bus-bar body mounted within the outer case. The electric connecting box includes a connection block electrically connecting the printed circuit board to the bus-bar body and spacing the printed circuit board a predetermined distance above the bus-bar to permit mounting of various electronic components to the printed circuit board on a side facing the bus-bar. The connection block is configured separately from the printed circuit board and the bus-bar body.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the connection block may include an insulator block and at least one connecting terminal partially embedded in the insulator block. Furthermore, a first end of the at least one connecting terminal may protrude from a side of the insulator block and form the electrical connection to the printed circuit board, a second end of the at least one connecting terminal may protrude from a lower surface of the insulator block and form the electrical connection with the bus-bar, and an upper surface of the insulator blocks directly engages the printed circui
Aoki Kazuhiro
Asao Takahiro
Gilman Alexander
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Paumen Gary
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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