Electrical connection box with general and special circuits

• US 5,895,277 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Saka, Yuuji, Onizuka, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US08/944,747
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.2, 439/949, 174/52.1, 174/68.2, 361/600, 361/601, 361/637, 361/641
• US Class Current: 439/76.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2458 Electrical interconnections between terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2466 using a planar conductive structure, e.g. printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/029 having a programmable lay-out, i.e. adapted for choosing between a few possibilities
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10212 Programmable component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/202 using self-supporting metal foil pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits

Abstract

To provide an electrical connection box which can easily respond to a change in the circuit construction among different types of vehicles and among different grades of the same type of vehicles, and can be generally used, an internal circuitry of an electrical connection box is divided into a common circuitry 1 and a special circuitry 2. A conductive layer on which the common circuitry 1 is formed and another conductive layer on which the special circuitry 2 is formed are arranged one over the other at different levels in a casing of the electrical connection box. The common circuitry 1 comprises flat busbars 10, whereas the special circuitry 2 preferably comprises a wire, longitudinal busbars 20, or a flat circuit 25 such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a printed circuit board (PCB). The common circuitry 1 and the special circuitry 2 may alternatively be formed of the same types of conductors or circuit members. An insulating plate 11 between the common and special circuitry 1 and 2 may include intermediate terminals to join the common and special circuitry. The special circuitry may be modified by changing the positions of terminals in a casing which houses the special circuitry.

Claims

1. An electrical connection box for connection to a selected one of a plurality of external circuits, said external circuits including a plurality of common external circuit elements that are substantially identical for all of said external circuits and a plurality of special external circuit elements that are not common for all of said external circuits, such that said external circuits achieve a plurality of different purposes, said electrical connection box having an internal circuitry, wherein:

the internal circuitry is divided into a common circuitry common for all purposes and connectable to the common external circuit elements and a special circuitry which is not common for all purposes and connectable to the special external circuit elements of the selected external circuit, and

a conductive layer on which the common circuitry is formed and another conductive layer on which the special circuitry is formed, said conductive layers being arranged one over the other at different levels in the electrical connection box, the conductive layer of the common circuitry being formed by flat busbars and having tabs which extend into connector receptacles so as to form terminals for the connection of the common circuitry with external circuitry, the special circuitry being formed by longitudinal busbars, cramping terminal cramped to the longitudinal busbars for extending therefrom into connection with the special external circuit elements.

2. An electrical connection box as in claim 1, further comprising a substantially planar insulating plate, said flat busbars being punched from metal plates and having a plurality of coplanar portions supported on said planar insulating plate, said tabs extending from selected locations on said coplanar portions of said flat busbars and substantially orthogonal to said planar insulating plate, the longitudinal busbars comprising a plurality of conductive plates having planar surfaces extending orthogonal to said planar insulating plate.

3. The electrical connection box of claim 2, wherein the cramping terminals are elongate members having opposed longitudinal ends and being aligned substantially orthogonal to the planar insulating plate, one said end of each said cramping terminal being formed with a slot, a selected portion of said longitudinal busbars being cramped into engagement with said slot of said cramping terminal.

4. The electrical connection box of claim 3, wherein said second end of each said cramping terminal defines a pin configured for connection with a selected portion of said special external circuit elements.

5. The electrical connection box of claim 4, further comprising an upper casing configured to surround said planar insulating plate and said flat busbars disposed therein, said upper casing having a plurality of receptacles disposed respectively to align with said tabs to enable connection of said tabs to said common external circuit elements, said electrical connection box further comprising a lower casing having a plurality of terminal holes extending therethrough, said terminal holes being dimensioned to receive the second ends of the respective cramping terminals for achieving connection to the special external circuit elements.

6. The electrical connection box of claim 5, wherein the plurality of terminal holes is greater in number than the plurality of said cramping terminals, whereby said cramping terminals are disposed in accordance with configurations and locations of said longitudinal busbars.

7. A plurality of electrical connection boxes for connection respectively to a plurality of external circuits, said external circuits each including a plurality of common external circuit elements that are substantially identical for all of said external circuits and a plurality of special external circuit elements that are not common for all of said external circuits, such that said external circuits achieve a plurality of different purposes, each of said electrical connection boxes comprising first and second mateable casings, a substantially planar insulating plate disposed between said casings, said planar insulating plate having a first surface facing said first casing and a second surface facing said second casing, flat busbars comprising a plurality of coplanar metal strips supported on said first surface of said planar insulating plate and having common internal circuitry thereon, the common internal circuitry for each said electrical connection box in said plurality being substantially identical and being connectable to the common external circuit elements, each said electrical connection box further comprising a plurality of longitudinal busbars formed from a plurality of metal strips arranged substantially orthogonal to the planar insulating plate and disposed between the second surface of the planar insulating plate and the second casing, said longitudinal busbars defining special internal circuitry, a plurality of elongate cramping terminals having opposed first and second ends, said first end of each said cramping terminal defining a slot crampingly engaged with a selected location on said longitudinal busbars, the special internal circuitry in selected electrical connection boxes of said plurality being different form the special internal circuitry in other of said electrical connection boxes of said plurality, the special internal circuitry being connectable to the special external circuit elements of a selected one of said external circuits for achieving one of said plurality of different purposes.