Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-04
2001-12-04
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C439S949000, C174S07100B
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325640
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical junction boxes having one or more bus bars.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In a conventional electric junction box accommodating a branch circuit, electrical wires and a bus bar are connected with each other by pressure-contact to construct a high-density circuit. The bus bar is frequently used as a power source circuit through which high current flows.
For example, inside a lower case
1
and an upper case
2
of a conventional electrical junction box shown in
FIG. 10
, a wiring layer w-
1
of single-core wire is arranged as a lower layer, a first insulation plate
6
A is laminated on the wiring w-
1
, a bus bar
7
is laminated on the first insulation plate
6
A, a second insulation plate
6
B is laminated on the bus bar
7
, and a second wiring layer w-
2
is arranged as an upper layer. Terminals such as a slot terminal
7
A projecting from the bus bar
7
and having a pressure-contact blade at its end, are connected with the wirings w-
1
and w-
2
by pressure-contact. Further, a pressure-contact terminal
5
and a female terminal (not shown) are provided on a connector
3
and a relay socket
4
integral with the lower case
1
and the upper case
2
and connect with the wiring w-
1
and w-
2
. In this manner, a high-density internal circuit is constructed.
The bus bar
7
in the electric junction box of
FIG. 10
is formed by punching a metal sheet into the required configuration, then bending and shaping the sheet. Because the internal circuit is formed for a specific type of a vehicle and a precise specification, bus bars of various different complicated configurations are required for different vehicles and specifications. A different punching die is necessary for each different punching configuration. Thus, it is necessary to manufacture many types of dies, which is expensive. When there is an improvement which alters an internal circuit in a given vehicle or specification, the existing bus bar cannot be used for the altered internal circuit. When that happens, it is necessary to design and manufacture a new bus bar, which requires time and labor.
In addition, the configuration of the upper and lower cases constituting the electric junction box are formed in correspondence to the configuration of the internal circuit. That is, they are specifically used for a particular type of a vehicle and a particular specification. Thus, it is necessary to manufacture many types of upper and lower cases, which increases cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,625 shows an electrical interface board, for use in a vehicle, having conductor elements formed by bending flat ribbon stock, to avoid the need to provide new tooling for each change of configuration. Terminal parts are connected flat to the conductor elements by clinch joints. However, only limited possibilities for the shape of the conductor elements are shown.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide, for an electrical junction box, a bus bar which can be easily made and can be applied to a wide variety of uses at a low cost to different types of vehicles and to alterations of a circuit. It is a second object of the present invention to make it possible to standardize a lower case and an upper case of an electrical junction box so that the lower and upper cases have general-purpose applicability, i.e., they are applicable to circuits of various configurations.
According to the invention in a first aspect there is provided an electrical junction box having at least one bus bar having
a spine comprising a plurality of one-piece metal strip parts joined together at mutually overlapping portions thereof, and
a plurality of terminal parts of metal sheet each having a foot portion and a terminal-forming portion, each said foot portion lying flat against the spine and being joined to the spine.
Each terminal part is preferably a one-piece part formed of metal sheet, and may be selected from (i) an L-shaped part in which the foot portion is one leg of the L-shape and (ii) a U-shaped part in which the foot portion is the base of the U-shape. In other embodiments, the foot portion of each said terminal part is coplanar with at least part of the terminal-forming portion thereof.
As shown below, the invention permits the design and production in a simple manner of bus bars in electrical junction boxes having a wide variety of configurations, using simple starting materials, e.g. metal strip, and standardized terminal parts. Small changes of specification of an electrical junction box can be easily accommodated, without the need for a new sheet punching tool. Interlayer connections in the box can be easily provided, and also connections to other standard items in the box, e.g. connectors, relays and fuses. Joining of the one-piece members to each other in the specific desired configuration can be achieved securely and simply, using automatic machinery, e.g. by welding or riveting. The overlap between the parts may be linear, perpendicular or oblique. The invention thus achieves flexibility of design at low cost.
For example, the one-piece metal strip parts of the spine are all formed of metal strip having uniform strip width. The metal strip parts are suitably joined together by riveting or welding, and the foot portions of the terminal parts also may be joined to the spine by riveting or welding. The spine may have a branched structure, with at least one terminal part joined to each branch of the branched structure.
To provide direction changes in the bus bar, at least one of the one-piece metal strip parts of the spine may have at least one oblique bend line at which are joined two adjacent portions thereof which lie in parallel planes and extend in different directions with mutual overlap. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the one-piece metal strip parts of the spine has at least one right-angle bend at which are joined two adjacent portions which are in mutually perpendicular planes.
In another aspect, the invention provides an electrical junction box having at least one bus bar, the bus bar comprising
a one-piece spine member in the form of a metal sheet strip having (i) at least one first bend at an oblique bend line at which are joined two adjacent portions thereof which lie in parallel planes and extend in different directions with mutual overlap, and (ii) at least one second bend which is a right-angle bend at which are joined two adjacent portions thereof which are in mutually perpendicular planes, and
at least one terminal part formed of one piece of sheet strip bent to provide a foot portion and an upright portion perpendicular to said foot portion, said foot portion lying flat against said spine member and being joined thereto.
In the electrical junction box according to the invention, for use in a vehicle, the bus bar is suitable as a power source circuit.
The electrical junction box may have an upper casing part and a lower casing part, first electrical wiring extending over an inner surface of the upper casing part, second electrical wiring extending over an inner surface of the lower casing part, pressure-contact terminals disposed on the upper casing part and connected to the first wiring, pressure-contact terminals disposed on the lower casing part and connected to the second wiring, and electrical connection members disposed within the box and connecting the first and second wirings, wherein the bus bar is disposed in the box between the first and second wirings.
The invention extends to a vehicle including an electrical junction box as herein described.
It should be appreciated that the methods and apparatuses according to the invention are applicable to a wide variety of electrical junction situations. Thus, while the methods and apparatuses in accordance with the invention may be directed towards an electrical junction box in a vehicle, it should be recognized that electrical junction boxes and bus bars may be generated and manipulated in accordance with the invention in various ways to fit specific configurations
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Patel Tulsidas
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
LandOfFree
Electrical junction box having a bus bar does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrical junction box having a bus bar, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrical junction box having a bus bar will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2564591