Electric connection box and wire harness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11654844-B2
Application number	US-202017111455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 5, 2019
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

In an electric connection box, first and second holding structures between a casing and a terminal block outside the casing include locking portions provided on the side of an assembly surface of the casing, locked portions provided on the side of the terminal block and in which a relative movement of an installation target toward the side of an opening at an assembly completion position is locked by the locking portions, guide portions provided on the side of the assembly surface and extend along a direction of the relative movement between the locking portions and the locked portions in a state where the casing is attached to the installation target, and guided portions provided on the side of the terminal block and are guided from the side of the opening to the assembly completion position along the guide portions, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric connection box comprising:
an insulating casing;
at least one internal electric part that is accommodated inside the casing and is electrically connected to a plurality of internal electric wires drawn from the inside to outside of the casing;
a terminal block that is provided with at least one external electric part electrically connected to at least one external electric wire, and is assembled into an assembly surface in an outer wall of the casing;
a first holding structure that is interposed between the assembly surface and a first outer wall surface disposed to face the assembly surface in the terminal block at an assembly completion position, and holds the terminal block on the assembly surface; and
a second holding structure that is interposed between an erection wall erected from the assembly surface and a second outer wall surface disposed to face the erection wall in the terminal block at the assembly completion position, and holds the terminal block on the assembly surface, wherein
the casing has a held portion to be attached to a holding portion of an installation target from an opening of the installation target,
each of the first holding structure and the second holding structure includes a locking portion that is provided on the side of the assembly surface, a locked portion that is provided on the side of the terminal block and in which a relative movement toward the side of the opening at the assembly completion position is locked by the locking portion, a guide portion that is provided on the side of the assembly surface and extends along a direction of the relative movement between the locking portion and the locked portion in a state where the casing is attached to the installation target, and a guided portion that is provided on the side of the terminal block and is guided from the side of the opening to the assembly completion position along the guide portion, and
at least one of a holding body having the locking portion and the guide portion in the first holding structure and a holding body having the locking portion and the guide portion in the second holding structure is disposed at a position visually recognized by a worker from the opening, in a state where the casing is attached to the installation target.

2. The electric connection box according to claim 1 , wherein
the holding bodies of each of the first holding structure and the second holding structure are disposed at a position visually recognized by the worker from the opening, in a state where the casing is attached to the installation target.

3. The electric connection box according to claim 1 , wherein
the holding bodies of each of the first holding structure and the second holding structure are provided in an erection body erected from the assembly surface, and
the erection body has the erection wall, and is formed to have a strength that is higher than a required strength under a usage environment and enables breakage during a dismantling work for separating the terminal block from the casing.

4. The electric connection box according to claim 2 , wherein
the holding bodies of each of the first holding structure and the second holding structure are provided in an erection body erected from the assembly surface, and
the erection body has the erection wall, and is formed to have a strength that is higher than a required strength under a usage environment and enables breakage during a dismantling work for separating the terminal block from the casing.

5. A wire harness comprising:
an insulating casing;
a plurality of internal electric wires;
at least one internal electric part that is accommodated inside the casing and is electrically connected to the plurality of internal electric wires drawn from the inside to outside of the casing;
at least one external electric wire;
a terminal block that is provided with at least one external electric part electrically connected to the at least one external electric wire and is assembled into an assembly surface in an outer wall of the casing;
a first holding structure that is interposed between the assembly surface and a first outer wall surface disposed to face the assembly surface in the terminal block at an assembly completion position and holds the terminal block on the assembly surface; and
a second holding structure that is interposed between an erection wall erected from the assembly surface and a second outer wall surface disposed to face the erection wall in the terminal block at the assembly completion position and holds the terminal block on the assembly surface, wherein
the casing has a held portion to be attached to a holding portion of an installation target from an opening of the installation target,
each of the first holding structure and the second holding structure includes a locking portion that is provided on the side of the assembly surface, a locked portion that is provided on the side of the terminal block and in which a relative movement toward the side of the opening at the assembly completion position is locked by the locking portion, a guide portion that is provided on the side of the assembly surface and extends along a direction of the relative movement between the locking portion and the locked portion in a state where the casing is attached to the installation target, and a guided portion that is provided on the side of the terminal block and is guided from the side of the opening to the assembly completion position along the guide portion, and
at least one of a holding body having the locking portion and the guide portion in the first holding structure and a holding body having the locking portion and the guide portion in the second holding structure is disposed at a position visually recognized by a worker from the opening, in a state where the casing is attached to the installation target.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Tashiro Hiroki
• Yokoyama Ryouichi
• Sumida Atsushi
• Masuda Junya

Classifications

• H02G3/08 Primary

  Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes · CPC title

• B60R16/0238 Primary

  Electrical distribution centers · CPC title

• H02G3/16

  structurally associated with support for line-connecting terminals within the box · CPC title

• H02G3/081

  Bases, casings or covers · CPC title

• B60R16/0207

  Wire harnesses · CPC title