Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-08-07
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270359
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric junction box in which an electronic circuit board and terminals are fixedly secured to a bed member, and the terminals are connected to bus bar terminals of a bus bar wiring board within the bed member.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-225871, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 6 and 7
show the related electric junction box which has been disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 9-172720.
In this electric junction box
60
, bus bar wiring boards
63
are provided in a stacked manner between an upper casing
61
(
FIG. 7
) and a lower casing
62
, and an electronic circuit board
65
is mounted on one half portion of the bus bar wiring board
63
through a bed member
64
, and the electronic circuit board
65
and the bus bar wiring boards
63
are connected together through relay terminals
66
.
Support posts
67
for supporting the electronic circuit board
65
thereon are formed upright on the lower casing
62
, and the bus bar wiring boards
63
are received between the opposed support posts
67
. A plurality of tab terminals
69
are formed in an upstanding manner on bus bars
68
of the bus bar wiring board
63
. A plurality of terminal portions
70
, connected to a printed circuit (not shown), are formed at a peripheral portion of the electronic circuit board
65
. One contact portion of each relay terminal
66
is connected to the associated terminal portion
70
. Each group of relay terminals
66
are received in a housing
71
, and in this condition each group of relay terminals
66
are connected to the terminal portions
70
laterally of the electronic circuit board
65
. The housings
71
are provided at the opposite side edge portions of the electronic circuit board
65
, respectively. The other contact portions of the relay terminals
66
are connected to the tab terminals
69
of the bus bars
68
, respectively. The one contact portion of the relay terminal is disposed perpendicular to the other contact portion thereof.
Various parts, including diodes, noise filters, a buzzer for preventing a failure to turn off a light, and a buzzer for preventing a failure to withdraw a key, are mounted on the electronic circuit board
65
. Second relay terminals
72
, connected to the tab terminals
69
of the bus bars
68
are disposed in a fuse connection cavity
73
of the upper casing
61
(FIG.
7
). A wire harness (not shown) is connected from the exterior to a connector portion
74
of the upper casing
61
.
In the above construction, however, the connection between the bus bar wiring boards
63
and the electronic circuit board
65
requires many connecting portions, that is, the connection between the terminal portions
70
of the printed circuit and the one contact portions of the relay terminals
66
and the connection between the other contact portions of the relay terminals
66
and the tab terminals
69
of the bus bars
68
. Therefore, there have been encountered problems that the number of the component parts is increased, so that the construction is complicated, that much time and labor are required for the connecting and assembling operations, and that the electrical contact resistance is increased. And besides, since the relay terminals
66
have a complicated construction, there has been encountered a problem that the costs of the component parts are high. There has been encountered a further problem that much time and labor are required for putting the relay terminals
66
into the housings
71
. The housings
71
are provided respectively at two sides of the outer peripheral edge of the electronic circuit board
65
(in some cases, these housings are provided respectively at four sides of this outer peripheral edge), and therefore there has been encountered a further problem that the construction becomes complicated and bulky. The terminal portions
70
of the printed circuit must be provided at the outer peripheral edge portion of the electronic circuit board
65
, and also the tab terminals
69
of the bus bars
68
must be provided in opposed relation to the outer peripheral edge of the electronic circuit board
65
, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the degree of freedom of the circuit arrangement, as well as the degree of freedom of arrangement of the connecting positions, is limited, so that the construction becomes complicated and bulky. The tab terminals
69
of the bus bars
68
can not be disposed at one half portion of the bus bar wiring board
63
beneath the bed member
64
, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that a dead space is formed within the bed member
64
, which also makes the electric junction box bulky. The upper surface of the upper casing
61
is stepped so that the electronic circuit board
65
can be disposed at a level higher than the bus bar wiring board
63
, and this has invited a problem that the configuration is limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric junction box in which the structure for connecting a bus bar wiring board and an electronic circuit board together is simplified, and has a compact and low-cost design, and an connecting operation is simplified, and the reliability of electrical connection is enhanced with a reduced number of contact portions (contacts), and the degree of freedom of a circuit arrangement, as well as the degree of freedom of arrangement of the connecting positions, is increased.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an electric junction box which comprises a junction box body including a connector portion, a bus bar wiring board received within the junction box body, the bus bar wiring board including a bus bar terminal, an electronic circuit board received within the junction box body, a bed member disposed between the bus bar wiring board and the electronic circuit board, the bed member including a receiving portion formed therein, at least one first terminal fixedly secured to the bed member, one end portion of the first terminal being electrically connected to the electronic circuit board, and the other end portion of the first terminal extending through the bus bar wiring board into the connector portion, and at least one second terminal fixedly secured to the bed member, one end portion of the second terminal being electrically connected to the electronic circuit board, and the other end portion of the second terminal being disposed in the receiving portion of the bed member and electrically connected to the bus bar terminal of the bus bar wiring board.
Preferably, the electronic circuit board is fixedly secured to the bed member.
Preferably, the bus bar wiring board is disposed close to the connector portion.
Preferably, the electric junction box is an electric junction box electrically connected to exterior through the connector portion of the junction box body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5764487 (1998-06-01), Natsume
patent: 9-172720 (1997-06-01), None
Ishikawa Satoshi
Kondo Hiroyuki
Abrams Neil
Dinh Phuong KT
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Electric junction box does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electric junction box, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electric junction box will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2445150