JP2003009349A - Waterproof structure of electrical junction box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain an electrical junction box from being enlarged as much as possible and improve the waterproofing of the lower section thereof. SOLUTION: The lower edge of a box body 11 and the lower edge of a slide cover 16 are formed with lapping sections 27, 28, in which they are overlapped with each other. The lapping sections are formed by being bent, so as to overhang from the outer surface of the slide cover 16. A bottom wall 21 of the box body 11 is extended, so as to overhang from the front end of the junction block 12. A stepped section 29 is provided at an extension section 21a of the bottom wall 21.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof structure for an electric junction box used in, for example, an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electric connection box 51 shown in FIG. 9 has a junction block 53 to which an electric component 52 such as a relay or a fuse is mounted. The junction block 53 is housed in a box body 54 that is vertically mounted on the vehicle body. A slide cover 56 that covers the junction block 53 is removably attached to the opening 55 formed in the box body 54 along the vertical direction. Generally, such an electrical junction box 5
1 is installed in the engine room of the car,
It is necessary to prevent water from entering the box body 54.
Specifically, the slide cover 56 is formed with a cover portion 56a for covering the central portion to the upper portion of the box body 54. Due to the cover portion 56a, even if water droplets are splashed on the upper portion of the electrical junction box 51, it is possible to reliably prevent the water droplets from entering the inside.

[0003]

However, the conventional electric junction box 51 has a structure in which the upper part of the electric connection box 51 is reliably secured in water resistance, while the lower part is inferior in water resistance. That is, the lower end edge of the box body 54 and the lower end edge of the slide cover 56 are overlapped with each other at the overlapping portions 57, 58.
Despite being provided, the overlapping portion 57, 58
Overlap with each other in the vertical direction, and the length of the overlapping portions 57 and 58 is extremely short. Therefore, water droplets may enter the electric junction box 51 through the overlapping portions 57 and 58.

Of course, the waterproofness of the electrical junction box 51 can be improved by lengthening the overlapping portions 57 and 58. However, if this configuration is adopted, the electric connection box 51 becomes large, and in recent years, the installation space of the electric connection box 51 in the engine room is being limited,
At present, it is extremely difficult to adopt such a configuration.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the problems existing in such conventional techniques. A first object is to improve the waterproofness of the lower side of the electric junction box while suppressing the enlargement of the electric junction box as much as possible. The second purpose is to ensure the waterproofness of the junction block even if water drops enter the electric junction box.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the invention described in claim 1, a box main body in which a junction block having an electrical component is housed is provided with a slide cover for covering the junction block up and down. In the waterproof structure of the electric connection box that is detachably installed along the direction,
The gist of the present invention is that the lower end edge of the box body and the lower end edge of the slide cover are provided with overlapping portions that overlap each other, and the overlapping portions are bent so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a waterproof structure for an electrical connection box is provided, in which a junction block having electrical components is housed in a box body, and a slide cover for covering the junction block is detachably provided along the vertical direction. In the above, the gist is that the bottom wall of the box body is extended so as to project from the outer edge of the junction block, and a step portion is provided in the extending portion of the bottom wall.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a waterproof structure for an electric connection box is provided in which a slide cover for covering the junction block is detachably provided in a box main body in which a junction block having electrical components is accommodated, in the vertical direction. In the above, the lower end edge of the box body and the lower end edge of the slide cover are provided with overlapping portions where they overlap each other, and the overlapping portion is bent and formed so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover, and at the bottom of the box body. The gist is that the wall is extended so as to project from the outer edge of the junction block, and a step portion is provided in the extending portion of the bottom wall.

The "action" of the present invention will be described below. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the overlapping portions provided on the box body and the slide cover are bent so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover. Therefore, even if water drops are attached to the lower surface of the electric connection box, it is difficult to reach the inside of the electric connection box through the spaces between the respective overlapping portions. Further, since the overlapping portion is not a straight extending shape but is bent, it is possible to improve waterproofness.
In short, it is possible to make the overlapped portion compact and to secure a sufficient length of the overlapped portion as compared with forming the overlapped portion in a straight line. Therefore, since the overlapping portion does not largely extend from the outer surface of the slide cover along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, it is possible to prevent the electric junction box from increasing in size.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the water drop that has entered the electrical junction box moves to the junction block side along the bottom wall of the box body, the water drop is formed by the step formed on the bottom wall. Is prevented from moving. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from attaching to the junction block.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the overlapping portions respectively provided on the box body and the slide cover are bent so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover. Therefore, even if water drops are attached to the lower surface of the electric connection box, it is difficult to reach the inside of the electric connection box through the spaces between the respective overlapping portions. Further, since the overlapping portion is not a straight extending shape but is bent, it is possible to improve waterproofness. In short, it is possible to make the overlapped portion compact and to secure a sufficient length of the overlapped portion as compared with forming the overlapped portion in a straight line. Therefore, since the overlapping portion does not largely extend in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction from the outer surface of the slide cover, it is possible to prevent the electric junction box from increasing in size. Further, even if a water drop that has entered the electric junction box travels along the bottom wall of the box body toward the junction block, the step formed on the bottom wall prevents the water drop from moving. This makes it possible to prevent water droplets from attaching to the junction block.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical junction box 10 includes a box body 11 made of synthetic resin, the front side of which is open, and a junction block 12 is housed inside the box body 11. Fitting recesses 12a are formed on the upper and lower side surfaces and the left and right side surfaces of the junction block 12, respectively. By engaging the fitting recess 12a with the fitting projection 12b formed on the inner surface of the box body 11, the junction block 12 is positioned at a predetermined accommodation position. Electrical components 14, such as a relay and a fuse, and a connector 15 are mounted on the junction block 12. On the front side of the box body 11, a slide cover 16 made of synthetic resin is provided to cover the junction block 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, guide protrusions 18 extending in the up-down direction are formed on both side surfaces of the box body 11, and the groove portion 1 engaging with the guide protrusions 18 is formed.
9 is formed on the inner surface of the slide cover 16. Then, the groove 19 is engaged with the guide protrusion 18, so that the slide cover 16 is guided to move in the vertical direction with respect to the box body 11.

The bottom wall 21 of the box body 11 is extended so as to project from the front end (outer edge) of the junction block 12, and a locking claw 22 is formed on the extended portion 21a. The slide cover 1 is attached to the locking claw 22.
The slide hole 16 is detachably attached to the box body 11 by engaging the locking hole 23 formed at the lower edge of the front surface of the slide cover 6.

The upper part of the slide cover 16 has a box body 11
Is formed with a bag-shaped cover portion 16a covering from the central portion to the upper portion. With this cover 16a, the box body 11
Is covered including the front side opening 11a. As a result, the upper portion of the electrical junction box 10 is waterproofed, so that water droplets do not enter the inside of the box body 11 from above the front opening 11a.

Next, the main part of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, synthetic portions 27 and 28 made of synthetic resin are integrally formed at the tip of the bottom wall 21 which is the lower edge of the box body 11 and the lower end of the slide cover 16, respectively. Has been formed. Both overlapping portions 27 and 28 are formed by bending so as to project from the front surface (outer surface) of the slide cover 16. In other words, each overlapping portion 27, 28
Are projected from the position where the bottom wall 21 of the box body 11 and the lower end of the slide cover 16 intersect. When the slide cover 16 is attached, the inner surface of the overlapping portion 27 provided on the box body 11 and the outer surface of the overlapping portion 28 provided on the slide cover 16 overlap each other. Each of the overlapping portions 27 and 28 is formed by bending so that the overall shape thereof is an inverted L-shaped cross section. The overlapping portions 27 and 28 are surfaces P that overlap each other in the vertical direction.
1 and a surface P2 that overlaps in the horizontal direction.

A step portion 29 extending along the width direction of the box body 11 is formed on the extending portion 21a of the bottom wall 21. The step portion 29 is located on the front side of the front end portion of the junction block 12. At this position, the step 29
Is arranged behind the front end of the junction block 12, it is assumed that water droplets have entered the inside of the box main body 11 through the lower end of the box main body 11, that is, between the overlapping portions 27 and 28. This is because, in the case of doing so, the water droplets are extremely likely to attach to the junction block 12. By the way, in this embodiment, the height of the step portion 29 is 2 m.
It is preferable to set in the range of m to 10 mm. If the step portion 29 is too low, the waterproof effect is reduced, and if it is too high, the box body 11 becomes long in the vertical direction.

Therefore, the features of this embodiment will be described below. (1) Overlapping portions 27 and 28 formed on the box body 11 and the slide cover 16 are bent and formed. The overlapping portions 27, 28 are overlapped with each other at a surface P1 overlapping in the vertical direction and a surface P2 overlapping in the horizontal direction. Therefore, even if water droplets are attached to the lower surface of the electric junction box 10, it becomes difficult for the water droplets to reach the inside of the waterproof structure of the electric junction box. This is because the overlapping portions 27 and 28 have the surface P2 that overlaps in the horizontal direction, so that the waterproof property can be significantly improved.

(2) Moreover, since the overlapping portions 27 and 28 are bent to have an inverted L-shaped cross section, the overlapping portions can be made compact while ensuring the length of the overlapping portions. Therefore, since the electric connection box 10 does not greatly extend from the front surface of the slide cover 16, it is possible to obtain high waterproofness without making the electric junction box 10 extremely large.

(3) If, for example, water drops are present on the bottom wall 21 of the box body 11.
Even if it travels to the junction block 12 side,
The water drops attach to the junction block 12,
The electrical component 14 does not cause a contact failure or the like. this is,
This is because the step portion 29 formed on the extended portion 21a of the bottom wall 21 blocks the movement of water droplets. Therefore, in the electric junction box 10 of the present embodiment, double waterproofing measures are taken by the overlapping portions 27, 28 and the step portion 29,
It is possible to more reliably prevent water droplets from being attached to the junction block 12.

The embodiment of the present invention may be modified as follows. As shown in FIG. 4, a skirt portion 30 may be formed so as to extend downward so that the overlapping portion 28 provided on the slide cover 16 is longer than that facing the box body 11.
With this configuration, it is possible to exert a particular effect on water droplets that are obliquely blown from the lower front side of the electrical junction box 10. Contrary to this relationship, although not shown, the box body 11
The overlapping portion 28 provided in the above may be extended downward so as to be longer than that provided in the slide cover 16.

As shown in FIG. 5, the step 29 formed on the bottom wall 21 of the box body 11 is omitted, and the electrical connection is provided only with the overlapping portions 27 and 28 provided on the box body 11 and the slide cover 16, respectively. It may be embodied in the box 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, electrical connection in which the overlapping portions 27 and 28 provided in the box body 11 and the slide cover 16 are omitted and only the step 29 formed in the bottom wall 21 of the box body 11 is provided It may be embodied in the box 10.

The overlapping portions 27 and 28 shown in the above embodiment
Has a surface P1 overlapping in the vertical direction and a surface P2 overlapping in the horizontal direction. Other than this, instead of the plane P2 that overlaps in the horizontal direction, it is also possible to use the overlapping portions 27 and 28 that have planes that overlap in the diagonal direction.

In the above embodiment, the overlapping portions 27, 28
Although the cross-sectional shape of is a hook shape (horizontal L shape), it can be changed to any shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, an extension portion 27a extending in the horizontal direction is formed at the lower end edge of the overlapping portion 27 in the box body 11, and the overlapping portion 2 is formed.
The cross-sectional shape of 7 may be zigzag. As a result, the overlapping portions 27 and 28 have a surface P1 that overlaps in the vertical direction,
It has two planes P2 and P3 that overlap each other in the horizontal direction. With such a configuration, water from below the box body 11 hits the extension portion 27a of the overlapping portion 27, so that water entering between the overlapping portions 27 and 28 can be prevented more reliably, and further waterproofing is achieved. The performance can be improved. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, it is also possible to form an extension portion 28a in the overlapping portion 28 provided on the slide cover 16 so that the cross-sectional shapes of both overlapping portions 27, 28 are zigzag. With this configuration, both overlapping portions 27, 2
The length of the surface P3 overlapping in the horizontal direction in 8 can be increased, and the waterproof performance can be further improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the number of the step portions 29 provided on the extending portion 21a of the bottom wall 21 is not limited to one, and a plurality of step portions 29 may be provided at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. Of course, when a plurality of step portions 29 are provided, the respective heights may be different or the same. For example, the step portion 29 on the rear side of the electrical junction box 10
It may be higher.

Next, in addition to the technical idea described in the claims, the technical idea grasped by the above-described embodiment will be shown below. (1) The electrical connection according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the two overlapping portions respectively provided on the box body and the slide cover have a surface overlapping in the vertical direction and a surface overlapping in the horizontal direction. Box waterproof structure.

(2) In any one of claims 1 to 3,
A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, wherein a bag-shaped cover portion that covers an upper portion of the box body is formed on an upper portion of the slide cover. With this configuration, the waterproofness of the upper side of the electrical junction box can also be enhanced.

(3) In any one of claims 1 to 3,
A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, in which at least one of the overlapping portions provided on the box body and the slide cover extends below the other.

(4) A synthetic resin box body accommodating a junction block having electrical components is detachably provided with a synthetic resin slide cover for covering the junction block in the vertical direction. In a waterproof structure of an electrical connection box, in which a bag-shaped cover is formed on the upper part, and the cover is put on the upper part of the box main body with the slide cover attached to the box main body, the bottom edge of the box main body and the slide The lower end edge of the cover is provided with an overlapping portion having a surface overlapping in the vertical direction and a surface overlapping in the horizontal direction, and the overlapping portion is bent and formed so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover. Waterproof structure of an electrical junction box in which the bottom wall of the box body is extended so as to project from the outer edge of the junction block, and a step portion is provided in the extension portion of the bottom wall.

(5) Electrical connection in which a slide cover for covering the junction block is attached to and detached from the box body containing the junction block having electrical components while moving along the opening formed in the box body. In the waterproof structure of the box, one end edge of the box main body and one end edge of the slide cover are provided with overlapping portions where they overlap each other, and the overlapping portion is bent and formed so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover. A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, wherein one side wall of the box main body is extended so as to project from an outer edge of the junction block, and a step portion is provided at an extended portion of the one side wall.

[0032]

As described in detail above, according to the invention described in claim 1, it is possible to improve the waterproofness of the lower side of the electric junction box while suppressing the enlargement of the electric junction box as much as possible.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if water droplets enter the electric connection box, the junction block can be waterproofed. According to the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to improve the waterproofness of the lower side of the electric junction box while suppressing the enlargement of the electric junction box as much as possible. At the same time, even if water drops intrude into the electric junction box, the junction block can be waterproofed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the inside of an electrical junction box according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slide cover as seen from the back side.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an electric junction box.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of another embodiment in which a step portion is omitted.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main parts of another embodiment in which the overlapping part is omitted.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example in which the shapes of overlapping portions are different.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example in which the shape of the overlapping portion different from that in FIG. 7 is different.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an electrical junction box showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Electrical junction box, 11 ... Box body, 14 ... Electrical equipment, 12
… Junction block, 16… Slide cover, 2
1 ... bottom wall of box body, 21a ... extended portion of bottom wall, 27, 2
8 ... overlapping part, 29 ... step part.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A waterproof structure for an electrical connection box, comprising a box body accommodating a junction block having electrical components, and a slide cover for covering the junction block detachably provided in the vertical direction, the lower end of the box body. A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, characterized in that an overlapping portion is provided on the edge and the lower end edge of the slide cover so that they overlap each other, and the overlapping portion is bent so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover. 2. A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, comprising a box body accommodating a junction block having electrical components, and a slide cover for covering the junction block being detachably provided in the vertical direction, the bottom of the box body. A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, wherein a wall is extended so as to extend from an outer edge of the junction block, and a step portion is provided on an extension portion of a bottom wall of the junction block. 3. A waterproof structure for an electrical connection box, comprising a box body accommodating a junction block having electrical components, and a slide cover for covering the junction block being detachably provided in the vertical direction, the lower end of the box body. An overlapping portion is provided on the edge and the lower end edge of the slide cover so that they overlap each other, and the overlapping portion is bent so as to project from the outer surface of the slide cover, and the bottom wall of the box body is formed on the outer edge of the junction block. A waterproof structure for an electrical junction box, which is characterized in that it extends so as to project from the bottom, and a step portion is provided on the extending portion of the bottom wall.