Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-17
2002-12-17
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C439S074000, C439S075000, C439S724000, C439S404000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494722
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit configuration method. More specifically, the invention relates to a wire harness circuit configuration method which is capable of configuring a splice circuit or the like arbitrarily.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Related arts of the present invention shown in
FIGS. 1 through 3
are disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 6-80318 (1994) and No. 6-54214 (1994).
A symbol J in
FIG. 1
shows an electric connection box. This electric connection box J is schematically composed of a cover main body
1
, sub-wire harnesses SW
1
, SW
2
and SW
3
, a rear cover
2
, a rear cover
3
and a rear cover
4
. The cover main body
1
is made of synthetic resin having an insulating characteristic. The sub-wire harnesses SW
1
, SW
2
and SW
3
are sorted per load system and are made of a plurality of electric wires W. The rear cover
2
is connected to the sub-wire harness SW
1
. The rear cover
3
is connected to the sub-wire harness SW
2
. The rear cover
4
is connected to the sub-wire harness SW
3
. The rear covers
2
,
3
and
4
are fixed to the cover main body
1
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, relay cavities
5
, fuse cavities
6
, female connector cavities
7
and fusible link cavities
8
, for example, are formed suitably in positions of an outer face of the cover main body
1
corresponding to the rear covers
2
,
3
and
4
.
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view showing a main section of the electric connection box J viewed from the rear side. As shown in
FIG. 2
, bus bars
10
and
11
which are bent into L shape intervene between the cover main body
1
and the rear cover
2
and between the cover main body
1
and the rear cover
3
. The bus bars
10
and
11
compose an internal circuit of the sub-wire harnesses SW
1
and SW
2
in the electric connection box J. Supporting walls
14
and
15
having bus bar sandwiching grooves
12
and
13
are arranged in a standing condition on an inner face of a ceiling wall
1
a
of the cover main body
1
. A plurality of terminal housing chambers
17
corresponding to various relay terminals
16
are protruded at end and middle portions of the supporting walls
14
and
15
.
FIG. 3
is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a state that the sub-wire harnesses SW
1
and SW
2
are connected to the main section of the electric connection box J. In this case, when the sub-wire harness SW
2
is lead, end portions of electric wires
9
hang or terminals of the end portions are damaged.
However, as shown in
FIG. 1
, in the first prior art, the rear covers
2
,
3
and
4
, to which the sub-wire harnesses SW
1
, SW
2
and SW
3
are connected respectively, are attached to the cover main body
1
. Due to this structure, in the case where the circuit configuration becomes complicated, when a number of rear covers increases, a plane area (projection area) of the cover main body
1
increases. As a result, there arises a problem that the electric connection box J is enlarged. Particularly in the electric connection box to be mounted to an automobile, an installation space is limited, the enlargement of the electric connection box becomes a problem.
In addition, in this electric connection box J, the bus bars
10
and
11
which intervene between the cover main body
1
and the rear covers
2
,
3
and
4
configure a circuit practically. For this reason, in the case where connection sections are added due to a change in the arrangement of the relay cavities
5
, the fuse cavities
6
and the female connector cavities
7
and the fusible link cavities
8
provided to the cover main body
1
and due to a modification of the circuit, a pattern of the bus bars is changed or becomes complicated. For this reason, in the electric connection box to be attached to an automobile, in the case where the type and standard of cars are different, it is necessary to prepare bus bars having peculiar patterns. This prior art is the electric connection box J which has the bus bars
10
and
11
as circuit components, but the circuit is occasionally configured by electric wire wiring. In this case, different wiring connection works are required for respective types of the electric connection boxes.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 1
, since the electric connection box J which is a power supply section has a plurality of circuit sections, a lot of electric wires Ware centered, and an assembly characteristic to an automobile is deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in mind.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a wire harness circuit configuration method and a wire harness which are capable of eliminating incomplete-connection of electric wires, simplifying and miniaturizing a structure of an electric connection box to be connected, forming a space-saving branch wiring section and improving versatility of wire harnesses so that the wire harnesses can be used between systems where types and standards of cars are different.
A first aspect of the invention provides a wire harness circuit configuration method including the steps of: laminating a plurality of sub-wire harnesses whose one end is connected to a connector on a load side and the other end is connected to branch wiring of an electric connection box; layering a plurality of electric wire groups which belong to an electric wire aggregate; and short-circuiting predetermined electric wires between the respective layers by means of connection members, thereby a desired circuit is configured.
Therefore, in the invention from the first aspect, the electric wire groups, which are composed of the predetermined electric wire(s) in the electric wire aggregate, are layered, and the predetermined electric wires on the different layers are short-circuited with each other by the connection members so that a desired circuit can be configured. For this reason, the layered electric wire groups and the connection members can form one portion of the circuit configuration in the electric connection box, and the structure of the electric connection box can be simplified. Therefore, in the present invention, the same parts can be used between power supply systems where the type and standard of cars are different, for example. As a result, the wire harness can be standardized or can be versatile, and the circuit configuration of the electric connection box can be simplified.
A second aspect of the invention depending from the first aspect provides the wire harness circuit configuration method further including the steps of: connecting electric wire connection terminals to the predetermined electric wires composing the electric wire groups on the respective layers; arranging the electric wire connection terminals connected to the electric wires belonging to each of the electric wire group so that the terminals are separated from each other on each of module plates; laminating a plurality of module plates on each other so as to form a laminated body; and putting the connection members through the laminated body so as to connect the predetermined electric wire connection terminals on the respective module plates with each other.
In the invention from the second aspect, the predetermined electric wire groups are arranged on the plural module plates so that the plural electric wire groups composing the electric wire aggregate can be layered. The module plates are laminated so that the predetermined electric wires can be arranged in an up-and-down direction. The electric wire connection terminals, to which the electric wires arranged in the up-and-down direction are connected in such a manner, can be connected to each other by putting the connection members through predetermined positions of the laminated body.
A third aspect of the invention depending from the first or the second aspect provides the wire harness circuit configuration method further including the steps of: housing the laminated body of the module plates and the connection members
Matsuoka Yutaka
Nakamura Mitsutoshi
Sakamoto Masami
Seki Yoshinobu
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Tsukerman Larisa
Yazaki -Corporation
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