Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-19
2001-01-30
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C439S949000, C439S212000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179628
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an electric connection box used for vehicles and the like, more specifically relates to an electric connection box housing inside it a bus-bar having a plurality of terminals for external connections.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, notable attempts have been made to incorporate electronics into automobiles and other vehicles, especially to incorporate electronics into the signal processing system of the control unit, the operating system, and other major areas. Accordingly, there is a tendency for an increase in the wiring work for the power supply etc. in vehicles. Especially, the bus-bars (basic wiring as power supply lines) for power supply have become thicker and have become harder to arrange. In addition, it is necessary to always meet the dimensional demands due to the limited space for installation in vehicles.
In view of this situation, the electrical connection box used in an automobile etc. generally comprises a pair of cases which fit with each other, a bus-bar as the basic wiring housed inside the pair of cases, and a connector housing attached so as to surround a plurality of terminal pieces formed projecting out from the bus-bar and connecting with connectors from the outside.
In this electrical connection box, the increase of the auxiliaries installed in automobiles has led to a need to increase the circuits corresponding to these auxiliaries, so a plurality of bus-bars serving as basic wiring used built inside it are now being provided or the width of the plurality of terminal pieces extending from the body of the bus-bar is being reduced so as to increase the density of the connectors to be connected with from the outside.
When reducing the width of the plurality of terminal pieces, however, the strength of the terminal pieces declines, so the terminal pieces deform when pushed in the insertion direction at the time of connecting with connectors or the arrangement of the plurality of terminal pieces is easily disturbed. Accordingly, in an electrical connecting box using a bus-bar having narrow width terminal pieces, the plurality of terminal pieces are prevented from deforming or the arrangement is prevented from being disturbed by separately providing supporting members to support each of the plurality of terminal pieces.
Accordingly, in an electrical connection box using a bus-bar having narrow width terminal pieces, there has been the problem that when the shape of the bus-bar differs due to the grade or destination, even with the same electrical connection box, it is necessary to provide supporting members matching with it and therefore the structure of the case or the connector housing becomes complex resulting in the increase of the manufacturing costs or the number of parts increases resulting in a higher cost for parts control.
Furthermore, a bus-bar is generally formed by punching it out from a metal sheet by a press in the shape of the body of the bus-bar and the plurality of terminal pieces. The terminal portion is then formed by bending the plurality of terminal pieces into predetermined shapes. However, with narrow width terminal pieces, there have been the problems of the pitch between the parallel provided terminals being disturbed or the terminal pieces deforming during this bending operation.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection box capable of supporting terminal pieces without making the structure of the case etc. complex and increasing the number of components even when using a bus-bar having narrow width terminal pieces.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection box capable of making the density of connectors connected with from the outside higher by using a bus-bar having narrow width terminal pieces.
To attain the above objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric connection box comprising a first case; a second case fitting with the first case; a connector housing for connecting with a connector from the outside; a bus-bar arranged to be sandwiched between the first case and the second case and having a terminal portion comprised of a plurality of terminal pieces positioned arranged in parallel inside the connector housing and a bus-bar body integrally formed with the terminal portion; and an insulator provided at least between the plurality of terminal pieces to connect and secure the terminal pieces to each other.
By doing so, since the plurality of terminal pieces are firmly secured to each other by the insulator, disturbance of the pitch between the terminal pieces or deformation can be prevented.
In the above configuration, the plurality of terminal pieces forming the terminal portion may be bent to identical crank shapes.
By doing so, it is possible to have the portions bent in the crank shape absorb any impact etc. when connecting the connectors and thereby possible to prevent the deformation or damage of the terminal pieces.
Also, in the above configuration, the plurality of terminal pieces forming the terminal portion may be bent in identical crank shapes and the insulator may be arranged in parallel to bent portions formed by bending in the crank shapes.
By doing so, since it is possible to have the portions bent in a crank shape absorb any impact etc. when connecting with a connector so as to prevent deformation or a damage of the terminal pieces and since the plurality of terminal pieces are firmly secured to each other by the insulator, disturbance of the pitch between the terminal pieces or deformation can be prevented.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric connection box comprising a first case; a second case fitting with the first case; a connector housing for connecting with a connector from the outside; a plurality of bus-bars arranged sandwiched between the first case and the second case, having terminal portions comprised of a plurality of terminal pieces positioned arranged in parallel inside the connector housing and flat sheet-like bus-bar bodies integrally formed with the terminal portions, and stacked with each other; a plurality of insulators provided so as to connect and secure the plurality of terminal pieces forming the terminal portions of the plurality of bus-bars to each other; and a plurality of insulating sheets arranged in a state sandwiched between the plurality of stacked bus-bars.
By doing so, since the plurality of terminal pieces forming one terminal portion are firmly secured to each other by an insulator, disturbance of the pitch between the terminal pieces or deformation can be prevented. Further, by stacking a plurality of bus-bars having such terminal portions, the density of connectors connected with from the outside can be made higher.
In the above configuration, the plurality of terminal pieces forming the terminal portions may be bent in identical crank shapes and the plurality of bus-bars may be stacked so that the insulators provided at the terminal portions are superposed over each other.
By doing so, the portions bent in a crank shape can be made to absorb any impact etc. when connecting with an connector and thereby prevent deformation or damage of the terminal pieces and the portions bent in a crank shape can be used to position the stacked bus-bars.
Also, in the above configuration, the plurality of terminal pieces forming the terminal portions may be bent in identical crank shapes, the insulators may be arranged in parallel to the bent portions formed by bending in the crank shapes, and the plurality of bus-bars may be stacked so that the insulators provided at the terminal portions are superposed over each other.
By doing so, the portions bent in a crank shape can be made to absorb any impact etc. when connecting with the connectors and thereby prevent deformation or damage of the terminal pieces, disturbance of the pitch between the terminal pieces or deformation can be prevented since the plurality of terminal pieces are firmly secured
Hasegawa Shin
Ikezawa Tadashi
Tanaka Mitsuo
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Bradley Paula
Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.
Ta Tho D.
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