Electrical connection box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12021357-B2
Application number	US-202017754178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2020
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

An electrical connection box for installation in a vehicle includes a bus bar to electrically and thermally interconnect a plurality of electrical components electrically connected to a power storage device or in-vehicle load installed in the vehicle, a casing to house the plurality of electrical components and the bus bar, and an insulating heat dissipation member thermally connected to the bus bar and the casing, with at least two of the plurality of electrical components being disposed adjacent to each other, and the bus bar dissipating heat from the two electrical components via the heat dissipation member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical connection box for installation in a vehicle, comprising:
a bus bar to electrically and thermally interconnect a plurality of electrical components electrically connected to a power storage device or an in-vehicle load installed in the vehicle;
a casing to house the plurality of electrical components and the bus bar; and
a first heat dissipation member thermally connected to the bus bar and the casing,
wherein at least two of the plurality of electrical components are disposed adjacent to each other,
the bus bar dissipates heat from the two electrical components via the first heat dissipation member,
the bus bar includes a first plate part to be in intimate contact with at least one of the two electrical components,
a laminate structure is formed by the one electrical component, the first plate part of the bus bar, the first heat dissipation member, and the portion of the casing to which the first heat dissipation member is affixed,
a first terminal fastening piece bent with respect to the first plate part is provided at an end portion of the first plate part, and
a relay terminal of the electrical component in intimate contact with the first plate part is fastened to the first terminal fastening piece; and
a second heat dissipation member provided on an outer surface of the casing,
wherein a laminate structure is formed by the first heat dissipation member, the portion of the casing to which the first heat dissipation member is affixed, and the second heat dissipation member and wherein the first heat dissipation member and the second heat dissipation member are formed with an identical material and shape.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first heat dissipation member is sheet-like, and
an area of the first heat dissipation member is larger than an area of a region the first plate part in intimate contact with the one electrical component.

3. The electrical connection box according to claim 1 , wherein the bus bar includes:
the first plate part to be in intimate contact with one of the two electrical components;
a second plate part to be in intimate contact with the other electrical component; and
a coupling plate part interposed between the first plate part and the second plate part, and
a surface width of the coupling plate part in an extension direction of the bus bar is smaller than surface widths of the first plate part and the second plate part.

4. The electrical connection box according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of heat generated per unit time by each of the two electrical components when power is supplied to the in-vehicle load from the power storage device differs, and
the first heat dissipation member is provided on a side on which the electrical component that generates more heat out of the two electrical components is provided.

5. The electrical connection box according to claim 1 , wherein the two electrical components are a relay and a fuse.

6. The electrical connection box according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor to detect heat generated by the two electrical components,
wherein the temperature sensor is provided on the bus bar.

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Asano Ayaka
• KOMAKI Kazuya
• Shimoda Hiroki
• Yanagida Taiji

Classifications

• H02G3/16 Primary

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

• B60R16/0239

  Electronic boxes · CPC title

• H01R13/68

  with built-in fuse · CPC title

• H01R31/065

  with built-in electric apparatus · CPC title

• H02B1/565

  for cabinets · CPC title