Electrical connection box with general and special circuits
First Claim
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, anda 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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
7 Claims
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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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.
Specification