Electrical connector box and assembly method thereof

• US 20040058570A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Oda, Akihiro, Ito, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,875,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/76.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/518 for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/085 Short circuiting bus-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/226 comprising a plurality of conductive flat strips providing connection between wires or components H01R9/2425 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/949 Junction box with busbar for plug-socket type interconnection with receptacle

Abstract

Electrical connector box includes a plurality of first bus bars arranged in one direction, each first bus bar having a plurality of first connector bands, a plurality of pairs of pinch prongs respectively extending therefrom, and a plurality of first separator portions each configured to form a circuit connection pattern by being removed from between a pair of first connector bands. Also included is a plurality of second bus bars arranged in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first bus bars, each second bus bar having a plurality of second connector bands for frictionally insertion between a respective plurality of pairs of pinch prongs, a plurality of second terminals extending from the plurality of second connector bands, and a plurality of second separator portions each configured to form a circuit connection pattern by being removed from between a pair of respective second connector bands. A lower case has first lower slots configured to respectively accept the plurality of first bus bars, and an upper case is configured to connect over the lower case, and has a plurality of open plug-in apertures.

Claims

1. An electrical connector box comprising:

a plurality of first bus bars generally uniformly arranged at intervals in a Y axis direction, each first bus bar of said plurality of first bus bars comprising;

a plurality of first connector bands;

a plurality of pairs of pinch prongs respectively extending at generally uniform intervals from said plurality of first connector bands; and

a plurality of first separator portions each configured to form a circuit connection pattern by being removed from between a pair of first connector bands of said plurality of first connector bands;

a plurality of second bus bars generally uniformly arranged at intervals in an X axis direction, each second bus bar of said plurality of second bus bars comprising;

a plurality of second connector bands configured to be frictionally inserted between a respective plurality of pairs of pinch prongs and form a bus bar assembly;

a plurality of second terminals respectively extending at generally uniform intervals from said plurality of second connector bands; and

a plurality of second separator portions each configured to form a circuit connection pattern by being removed from between a pair of respective second connector bands of said plurality of second connector bands;

a lower case having a plurality of first lower slots formed in a floor of said lower case, said plurality of first lower slots configured to respectively accept said plurality of first bus bars; and

an upper case configured to connect over said lower case, said upper case having a plurality of open plug-in apertures each configured to allow a said plurality of second terminals of a second bus bar of said plurality of second bus bars to extend into a plug-in aperture of said plurality of plug-in apertures, said upper case and said lower case configured to accommodate said bus bar assembly when said upper case and said lower case is connected together;

wherein each said plug-in aperture of said plurality of plug-in apertures is further configured to connectingly accommodate a plug-in block having a plurality of connector terminals attached to ends of a respective plurality of wires such that said plurality of connector terminals respectively connect to said plurality second terminals.

2. The electrical connector box according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of second connector bands comprises a respective plurality of second slots respectively formed on ends opposite said plurality of second terminals, said second slots configured to be inserted between a respective plurality of pairs of pinch prongs and form said bus bar assembly; and

in said bus bar assembly, said plurality of pairs of pinch prongs respectively extend beyond said plurality of second slots.

3. The electrical connector box according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of first connector bands are bent; and

in said bus bar assembly, said plurality of second bus bar connector bands respectively engage said bent plurality of first connector bands.

4. The electrical connector box according to claim 2, wherein:

said plurality of first connector bands are bent; and

in said bus bar assembly, said plurality of second bus bar connector bands respectively engage said bent plurality of first connector bands.

5. The electrical connector box according to claim 1, wherein said lower case further has a plurality of second lower slots configured to respectively accept said plurality of second bus bars.

6. A method of assembling an electrical connector box, the method comprising:

generally uniformly arranging a plurality of first bus bars at intervals in a Y axis direction, each bus bar of the plurality of first bus bars having a plurality of first connector bands and a plurality of pairs of pinch prongs respectively extending at generally uniform intervals from the plurality of first connector bands

forming a circuit connection pattern by removing at least one of a plurality of first separator portions from between a pair of first connector bands of the plurality of first connector bands;

generally uniformly arranging a plurality of second bus bars at intervals in an X axis direction, each bus bar of the plurality of second bus bars having a plurality of second connector bands and a plurality of second terminals respectively extending at generally uniform intervals from the plurality of second connector bands;

forming a circuit connection pattern by removing at least one of a plurality of second separator portions from between a pair of respective second connector bands of the plurality of second connector bands;

forming a bus bar assembly by frictionally inserting the plurality of second connector bands between a respective plurality of pairs of pinch prongs;

inserting the plurality of first bus bars into a respective plurality of first lower slots formed in a floor of a lower case; and

assembling an upper case over with the lower case to form a case housing, the upper case having a plurality of open plug-in apertures, such that one of the plurality of second terminals of a second bus bar of the plurality of bus bars to extend into a plug-in aperture of the plurality of plug-in apertures, the case housing accommodating the bus bar assembly.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising connecting a plug-in block to a plug-in aperture, the plug-in block having a plurality of connector terminals attached to ends of a respective plurality of wires, such that the plurality of connector terminals respectively connect to the plurality second terminals.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising inserting the plurality of second bus bars into a respective plurality of second lower slots formed in the floor of the lower case.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said forming a bus bar assembly further comprises:

inserting a respective plurality of second slots, respectively formed on ends opposite the plurality of second terminals, between a respective plurality of pairs of pinch prongs;

respectively extending the plurality of pairs of pinch prongs beyond the plurality of second slots.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising bending the plurality of first connector bands such that in the bus bar assembly, the plurality of second bus bar connector bands respectively engage the bent plurality of first connector bands.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising bending the plurality of first connector bands such that in the bus bar assembly, the plurality of second bus bar connector bands respectively engage the bent plurality of first connector bands.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising bending the plurality of first connector bands such that in the bus bar assembly, the plurality of second bus bar connector bands respectively engage the bent plurality of first connector bands.