Electrical connection box

Details Electrical connection box Electrical connection box

1999-01-27

2003-04-01

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Retaining means

C439S076200, C439S521000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06540543

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an electrical connection box having a casing and a cover engageable with the casing which are interlocked with each other, and more particularly, to such an electrical connection box disposed in a wiring connection, junction or branch area of wire harness or the like in connection with various kinds of electrical devices or equipments in a vehicle or the like so that the cover and the casing can be assembled together, regardless of whether a watertight packing is interposed therebetween.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An electrical connection box has been employed in variety of electric wiring or circuits in order to connect or branch wire harness or the like which leads to various kinds of electric equipments in an automobile vehicle or the like. Such an electrical connection box is exemplified in
FIG. 3
, which is of a rectangular profile. This kind of connection box comprises an assembly of a lower casing
1
and an upper cover
2
, which are produced by injection molding processes of resin, such as polypropylene, nylon or polybutyl terephthalate, with use of a metal mold.
The casing
1
has a side wall or plate
1
b
on a peripheral zone of a bottom wall
1
a
, whereas the cover
2
has a side wall or plate
2
b
on a peripheral zone of a top wall
2
a
. Female locking elements
10
in a pair are provided on the side wall
1
b
of the casing
1
and male locking elements
20
engageable with the female locking elements
10
are provided on the side wall
2
b
of the cover
2
. The female and male locking elements
10
,
20
are interlocked with each other, so that the casing
1
and the cover
2
are integrally assembled in an interlocking position so as to define an enclosure of electric devices, such as fuses
50
or relays
60
.
Referring to
FIG. 4
, a structure of the female and male locking elements
10
,
20
are illustrated as an example. The female locking element
10
is provided on an upper outside surface of the side wall
1
b
of the casing
1
, which element
10
comprises a bottom wall
11
and a side wall
12
generally formed in a L-shaped cross-section. A base end of the bottom wall
11
is secured to the side wall
1
b
, and a hook-shaped locking pawl
13
is disposed to protrude inwardly at an upper end of the side wall
12
.
The male locking element
20
is formed on a lower outside surface of the side wall
2
b
of the cover
2
, the element
20
comprising a flexible part
21
in a form of the letter “V” in its cross-section so as to be insertable into the female locking element
10
, and a joint portion
22
integrally extending to a base end of the flexible part
21
and supported by the side wall
2
b
of the cover
2
. The flexible part
21
is provided at its outside end portion with a pressed or pinched part
23
used for deflecting or deforming the flexible part
21
. A locking hole
24
is formed in a position of the flexible part
21
adjacent to the pressed part
23
so as to receive the locking pawl
13
of the female locking element
10
.
The joint portion
22
is provided with a recess or groove
25
between the cover
2
and the base end of the flexible part
21
, which recess has a width corresponding to a thickness of the side wall
1
b
of the casing
1
. If the electrical connection box is to be used in an engine room or the like into which water or moisture may leak, waterproofness of the connection box is required, and therefore, the recess
25
is formed to have a substantial depth for containing a watertight packing
3
therein, as shown in FIGS.
4
(
c
), (
d
). If such waterproofness is not required, the recess
25
is formed to have a relatively small dimension in depth so as to be merely engaged with the end edge of the casing
1
, as shown in FIGS.
4
(
a
), (
b
). Thus, different combinations of the casings and covers have to be prepared in accordance with their condition in use, i.e., in response to provision or omission of the packing
3
.
In use of such a conventional connection box, the cover
2
with the male locking element
20
is placed on the casing
1
with the female locking element
10
, so that the flexible part
21
is inserted into the female locking element
10
as the part
21
being deformed inwardly. At the time when the joint portion
22
or the packing
3
bears against the upper end edge of the side wall
1
b
of the casing
1
, the locking pawl
13
of the female locking element
10
is inserted into the locking hole
24
of the male locking element
20
, whereby the casing
1
and the cover
2
are integrally assembled in an interlocking position. If the cover
2
is to be disassembled from the casing
1
, the pressed part
23
of the male locking element
20
is pressed inwardly to disengage the locking pawl
13
from the locking hole
24
, so that the interlocking action of the casing
1
and the cover
2
is relieved.
With reference to
FIG. 5
, another structure of the female and male locking elements
30
,
40
are exemplified. The female locking element
30
in a form of letter “C” or rectangular frame is provided on an outside surface of the side wall
1
b
of the casing
1
at a position slightly lower than the upper edge thereof, an inner surface of the element
30
being provided with a hook-shaped locking pawl
31
opposing to the outside surface of the side wall
1
b.
The male locking element
40
is formed on a lower outside surface of the side wall
2
b
of the cover
2
, which element
40
comprises a flexible part
41
profiled in a form of upset “U” in its transverse cross-section to be inserted into the female locking element
30
, and a joint portion
42
integrally extending from a bent portion of the flexible part
41
and supported by the side wall
2
b
of the cover
2
. The flexible part
41
is provided at its outside end portion with a hook-shaped locking pawl
43
outwardly extending to be engaged with the locking pawl
31
.
The joint portion
42
is provided with a recess or groove
44
between the cover
2
and the base end of the flexible part
41
, which has a width corresponding to a thickness of the side wall
1
b
. If the electrical connection box is to be used in an engine room or the like into which water or moisture may leak, waterproofness of the connection box is required, and therefore, the recess
44
is formed to have a substantial depth for containing a watertight packing
3
therein, as shown in FIGS.
5
(
c
), (
d
). If such waterproofness is not required, the recess
44
is formed to have a relatively small dimension in depth so as to be merely engaged with an end edge of the casing
1
, as shown in FIGS.
5
(
a
), (
b
). As is similar to the aforementioned type of structure, a particular structure of the casing
1
and cover
2
be predetermined in each of the conditions in use, which depends on provision of the packing
3
.
In use of this connection box, the cover
2
with the male locking element
40
is placed on the casing
1
with the female locking element
30
, and the joint portion
42
or the packing
3
abuts against the upper end edge of the side wall
1
b
. Simultaneously with the abutment, the locking pawls
43
,
31
a
re engaged or latched with each other, so that the casing
1
and the cover
2
are integrally assembled in an interlocking position. When the cover
2
is disassembled from the casing
1
, the outside of the male locking element
40
is urged inwardly until the locking pawl
43
can be disengaged from the locking pawl
31
, thereby releasing the interlocking action therebetween.
Arrangements of those kinds of electrical connection boxes are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.9-79221 or Japanese Utility-Model Laid Open Publication No.7-39226, in which a casing and a cover are securely interlocked without loose conditions occurring. Further, another type of electrical connection box is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.9-151916 in which a cover is adapted to be engaged with a casing selectively in two levels without mismat

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