Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-25
2001-04-24
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220874
ABSTRACT:
This Application claims the benefit of the priorities of Japanese Applications 10-79989, filed Mar. 26, 1998; 10-79990, filed Mar. 26, 1998; and 10-89103, filed Apr. 1, 1998.
The present Invention is directed to an assembly for connecting wire harnesses with junction boxes and connection boxes. More specifically, it relates to a connector-less connection between wires from a wire harness and the internal circuit of the junction box.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past, when wires which connect a wire harness with an internal circuit of a junction box are produced, pressure-contact terminals are usually crimped to the exposed core of the wire. These terminals are located in a connector which is fitted within a connector receptacle on the junction box. The terminals form an electrical connection via junction terminals to tabs on a busbar which is part of the internal circuit of the junction box. Customarily, the internal circuit is formed from single-core wires and pressure-contact terminals. In such a case, tabs (or junction terminals connected thereto), for forming electrical connections with external terminals, project into the connector in order to mate with the pressure-contact terminals therein. These terminals are connected to the ends of the wire harness.
Since the junction box and the wire harness are connected through a connector, it is necessary to crimp the pressure-contact terminals onto the ends of wires which are part of the wire harness. Moreover, these pressure-contact terminals must be inserted into a connector. As a result, many steps are necessary and a large number of parts (pressure-contact terminals and connectors) must be used. This increases cost and the likelihood of human error in assembly. Under normal circumstances, the terminals located in the connector are spaced apart from each other in a single row. This is wasteful of space, especially if there are a large number of such terminals.
In an attempt to solve the foregoing problems, the present Applicants proposed, in Japanese OPS 8-227738, a configuration for connecting connector-less electrical junction boxes and wire harnesses, as shown in
FIG. 15
hereof. Wire harness W/H is composed of a plurality of wires W. These lead from the external circuit of wire harness W/H and the ends are inserted through wire insertion openings
1
a
into lower case
1
of junction box
10
. A connector-less connection is formed between the cores of wires W and the conductors of the internal circuit by welding or the use of pressure-contact terminals
3
. Thereafter, upper case
2
is affixed to lower case
1
to complete the assembly.
This configuration, however, suffers from certain drawbacks. The ends of the wires are inserted into the junction box and connected to the internal circuit. Hence, the junction box can be assembled only after the wires have been completely connected at the wire harness assembly workbench. In other words, if the wire harness is loosely bound (with the wires not completely assembled), it cannot be connected to a completed junction box containing the internal circuit. If it is necessary to first completely bind the wire harness at the wire harness assembly workbench, the entire operation becomes increasingly complex, resulting in a substantial cost increase.
Furthermore, in the foregoing arrangement, only the ends of the wire harness can be connected to the junction box. It is not possible to connect intermediate portions of the wire harness in this fashion. In addition, there is a danger that, since the wires inserted into the box are not fixed, any tension on the wire is liable to impair or destroy the connection with the internal circuit in the box. Hence, the reliability of the assembly is reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, among the objects of the present Invention to provide a connector-less connection between a junction box, connection box, and an intermediate section of a loosely bound wire harness. It is also among the objects of the present Invention to permit the wires and a large number of terminals in the junction box and connection boxes to be connected. It is further among the objects of the present Invention to minimize the space required for making the foregoing connections. Still further among the objects of the present Invention is the prevention of tension being applied to the connecting section, thereby improving its reliability. It is further among the objects of the present Invention to facilitate the making of the connections and reducing the number of steps required for doing so.
In accordance with the present Invention, there is provided a wire harness assembly which includes a wire harness and a junction box, the latter containing a plurality of junction box terminals. The assembly also includes an attachment unit which projects outwardly from the junction box.
The attachment unit has an outer surface which is remote from the junction box and a plurality of openings is located therein. One of the ends of the junction box terminals is in electrical contact with an internal circuit therein. The other ends of the junction box terminals are provided with blades which extend through the openings and project outwardly therefrom. The wires of the wire harness are pressed against the blades, whereby they contact the junction box terminals to form electrical connections with the internal circuit. A forward end of each of the wires is connected to a connector terminal in a connection box by pressure contact. Usefully, it is an attachment portion of the wires, preferably intermediate their ends, which is connected to the junction box terminals and one or both ends of the wires are connected to connector terminals in connection boxes.
Usually, there is a plurality of connection boxes, each having a terminal insertion chamber and at least one connector terminal therein. Cutting ends are located on the outer ends of the connector terminals and, when the wires are pressed against the cutting ends, are adapted to make electrical contact with the cores thereof.
The blades on the junction terminals are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the axis of the wires by a distance constituting a first pitch. Similarly, the cutting ends of the connection boxes are spaced apart transversely by a second pitch. Thus, if the pitches are alike, a single automated pressing tool can be used to force all of the wires between both the blades on the junction box and the cutting ends on the connection boxes.
However, there are situations wherein the internal circuits in the junction box include busbars, which are relatively thick. Since only the wires go to the connection boxes, it is to be expected that the second pitch can be much smaller than the first pitch. In such a situation, it is advisable, according to the Invention, that the first pitch be an even multiple of the second. For example, if the blades, because they are attached to busbars (or for any other reason), must be separated at a pitch of 5 mm, the cutting ends of the connector terminals advantageously should be at a pitch of 2.5 mm. In this way, the automatic tool which presses all of the wires into the blades can also be used for the same purpose with respect to the cutting ends.
In this situation, every other wire will be pressed into the cutting ends in the first press; a second press, after the tool or the connector terminal is moved 2.5 mm transversely, will complete the insertion. Alternatively, it is possible to have the tool with bearing surfaces at the smaller pitch. In that case, every other surface will be inoperative when pressed against the blades in the junction box, and they will all be operative when used in connection with the cutting ends in the connector box. This form of the Invention has the advantage of requiring only one operation of the automated tool to insert all of the wires in each box. It has been found particularly advantageous to provide a construction wherein the first pitch is twice the second pitch.
It has been found particularly useful in the present Invention if first an
Kurata Kazunori
Takada Nobuhiro
Bierman, Muserlian and Lucas
Donovan Lincoln
Prasad Chandrika
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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