Electrical connectors – With circuit component or comprising connector which fully... – Connector includes or covers additional component
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-11
2003-02-25
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With circuit component or comprising connector which fully...
Connector includes or covers additional component
C439S076200, C439S949000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06524136
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connection box suitable to be installed on a vehicle, for example an automobile. More particularly, the invention relates to an electrical connection box accommodating an electrical component part, which is fastened to a power distribution element such as a bus bar or an electric wire of the connection box. The invention also relates to a vehicle having such an electrical connection box installed on it.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical component parts in a vehicle are mounted on a vehicle body, accommodated in an electrical connection box. It is necessary to apply high current to some electrical component parts connected to a battery, an alternator, or the like. It is also necessary to fasten connection terminals of bus bars, electric wires and the like distribution elements to connection terminals of the electrical component parts by bolts or the like.
FIG. 4
shows an example of a conventional electrical connection box
51
accommodating electrical component parts requiring to be fastened to distribution elements. The box
51
has a block body
52
, which may be a one-piece molding, an upper case
53
and a lower case
54
.
A plurality of component receiving portions
55
are arranged on the upper face
52
a
of the block body
52
. At fastening locations
57
connection terminals
56
a
of a fusible link
56
of bolt-fastening type are fastened to bus bars
58
by bolts or the like. The fastening locations are on a body portion projecting up from the face
52
a
which has a socket
55
a
for receiving fusible links
56
. At the fastening locations
57
the insertion direction of a bolt or the like is shown by an arrow F in FIG.
4
. Thus, the fastening portion
57
is open laterally with respect to the face
52
a
to enable the fastening to take place using a bolt or the like.
The upper case
53
is installed on the block body
52
to cover the component part-installing surface
52
a
. The lower case
54
is installed on the lower face of the block body
52
.
However, in this known electrical connection box
51
, because the fastening location
57
extends toward the face
52
a
, the bus bar
58
and the bolt fastened at the fastening location
57
are exposed to the exterior. Consequently, tools or other objects may contact the fastening location
57
during maintenance, which may cause shorting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connection box that can reduce risk of accidental contact of objects with a fastening location at which an electrical component part and a distribution element such as a bus bar are connected.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connection box including:
a body having a face, the body carrying an electrically conductive power distribution element;
a component receiving portion upstanding from the face of the body for receiving, in use, an electrical component and having a fastening location at which, in use, a connection terminal of the electrical component is fastened to the distribution element;
a casing covering the face and the component receiving portion; and
a removable cover covering the fastening location, the removable cover being enclosed within the casing.
In the invention, the fastening location is covered by the cover. Thus, when the casing is removed from the body, the fastening location is not exposed. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably reduce the risk of tools or the like contacting the fastening location during maintenance.
Preferably, the cover has an aperture through which the electrical component projects when installed. The periphery of the aperture may contact the installed electrical component or the component receiving portion.
By this arrangement, the cover can be easily placed in position on the component receiving portion. Further, it is possible to reduce the risk of the installed cover slipping off from the component receiving portion.
Thus the cover is guided by the contact of the periphery of the aperture with the component or the component receiving portion and can be placed in position easily and securely. The cover can be installed easily on the component receiving portion. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the risk of the installed cover being shaken or slipping off from the component receiving portion.
Preferably the cover is located by a recess of the body. It may be locked releasably to the component receiving portion by snap-lock elements.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5150094 (1992-09-01), Babini
patent: 5531345 (1996-07-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5788529 (1998-08-01), Borzi et al.
patent: 6004159 (1999-12-01), Liang
patent: 6224426 (2001-05-01), Kaneko
Kawaguchi Kiyofumi
Takada Nobuhiro
Hyeon Hae Moon
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Patel Tulsidas
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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