Fuse relay junction block for use in automobiles

• US 6,437,986 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kojin Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kojin Company Limited
• Inventors: Koshiba, Kiyofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Thanh S.
• Application Number:
  US09/655,181
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 361/752, 361/803, 361/775, 361/758, 439/949, 439/76.1, 439/76.2, 174/52.1, 174/262, 174/265, 174/266, 174/255
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/208 specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/62 Protection against overvoltage, e.g. fuses, shunts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2466 using a planar conductive structure, e.g. printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0298 Multilayer circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0969 Apertured conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1476 Same or similar kind of process performed in phases, e.g. coarse patterning followed by fine patterning
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0014 Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/202 using self-supporting metal foil pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4685 Manufacturing of cross-over conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/949 Junction box with busbar for plug-socket type interconnection with receptacle

Abstract

There is provided a fuse relay junction block for use in automobiles capable of not only considerably reducing the number of assembling process but also realizing small sized, lightweight compact block, thereby enhancing reliability and achieving a low cost material by aggregating the conventional plural pieces of boards to form a multilayered circuit structure. The fuse relay junction block comprises a box cover having a plurality of connection ports through which wirings of electronic wiring systems are connected to terminals of wiring members and a plurality of filling ports for fuses, a box body engaged in the box cover, a multilayered board housed between the box cover and the box body, wherein said wiring members being arranged on not less than two layers of board and integrated with primary molded portions by insert molding to form a network structure, said network structure is subjected to an insert to form a secondary molded portion.

Claims

1. A fuse relay junction block for use in automobiles comprising:

a box cover having a plurality of connection ports and a plurality of filling ports for fuses;

a box body engaged with the box cover;

a multilayer wiring board which is housed between the box cover and the box body and comprises wiring members, said wiring members including terminals that are accessible through said connection ports such that wirings of electric wiring systems which are disposed on the exterior of said box cover are insertable through said connection ports for engagement with said terminals, said wiring members having a plate-like shape, a plurality of said wiring members being disposed in two or more wiring layers and being coupled to each other by primary molded portions which are molded to said wiring members, at least a portion of said plurality of said wiring members having extraction ports which are filled by said primary molded portions to strengthen the coupling between said wiring members and said primary molded portions, said primary molded portions being of an insulative material, and said wiring members and said primary molded portions being mutually fixed together to define an open network structure which has openings between said wiring members as to be see-through vertically;

said wiring board further comprising a secondary molded portion which is formed of an insulative secondary molded material and covers said open network structure by molding in a plate-like shape to define a final shape for said multilayer wiring board; and

at least a portion of said plurality of said wiring members having bent portions which allow one said wiring member to be separated and insulated from another said wiring member or for differentiating one said wiring member in one said wiring level from another said wiring member in another said wiring level.

2. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 1, wherein a material of the wiring members is formed of pure copper.

3. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 1, wherein said secondary mold material fills said openings of said network structure.

4. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 1, wherein said box body and said box cover are separate components which are joined together to define an interior compartment, said multilayer wiring board being disposed within said interior compartment.

5. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 1, wherein all of said wiring members of said multilayer wiring board are fixed together in said open network structure by said primary molded portions independently of the presence of said secondary molded portion, said secondary mold portion being provided such that said openings between said wiring members are filled in said final shape.

6. A fuse relay junction block for use in automobiles comprising:

a box cover having a plurality of connection ports and a plurality of filling ports for fuses;

a box body which is assembled together with said box cover;

a multilayer wiring board which is housed between the box cover and the box body and comprises a plurality of wiring members, said wiring members including terminals that are accessible through said connection ports such that wirings of electric wiring systems which are disposed on the exterior of said fuse relay junction block are insertable through said connection ports for engagement with said terminals, said wiring members having an elongate plate-like shape wherein a plurality of said wiring members are disposed in two or more wiring layers in spaced apart relation which said wiring layers are spaced apart in any of a direction of the thickness of said multilayer wiring board, a longitudinal direction extending between opposite end edges of said multilayer wiring board and a lateral direction extending between opposite side edges of said multilayer wiring board, primary molded portions formed of an insulated material being coupled to said wiring members to maintain said wiring members in said spaced apart relation wherein said coupled wiring members and primary molded portions define an open network structure with spaces being provided between said wiring members in any of said thickness direction, said longitudinal direction and said lateral direction;

said wiring board further comprising a secondary molded portion which is formed of an insulative secondary mold material molded over said open network structure to cover said open network structure such that said secondary mold material fills said spaces within said open network structure and defines a final board shape for said multilayer wiring board.

7. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of said wiring members include extraction ports therethrough in a region of said primary molded portions such that a primary mold material from which said primary molded portions is formed fills said extraction ports to strengthen the coupling between said primary molded portions and said wiring members.

8. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of said wiring members include bent portions to maintain said wiring members in one said wiring level in spaced relation or to extend one said wiring member from one said wiring level to another said wiring level.

9. The fuse relay junction block according to claim 6, wherein all of said wiring levels of said multilayer wiring board are defined by said open network structure.

10. A method of manufacturing a fuse relay junction block for use in automobiles comprising a box cover having a plurality of connection ports through which wirings of electric wiring systems are connected to terminals of wiring members and having a plurality of filling ports for fuses, a box body engaged with the box cover, a multilayer wiring board housed between the box cover and the box body, said method comprising:

assembling the multilayered wiring board, said assembly step comprising;

forming the wiring members in a plate-like band shape;

arranging a plurality of the wiring members in at least two layers in preparation of molding;

providing an insulating material to the wiring members in a primary insert molding step, whereby the wiring members are coupled to primary molded portions defined by the insulating material to form a vertically see-through network structure with the wiring members held in a mutually fixed positional relation;

subjecting the network structure to a secondary insert molding step wherein the network structure is covered with an insulating material in a plate-like shape, thereby forming the multilayer wiring board;

when arranging the wiring members during the primary insert molding step, said method further comprising the steps of;

integrating the wiring members with each other wherein each said wiring member has a bent portion for allowing one said wiring member to detour around another wiring member so as to be insulated from each other or for differentiating said wiring members in one said level from said wiring members in another said level; and

providing the wiring members with extraction ports which are filled therethrough with the primary molded portions during said primary insert molding step for strengthening the coupling between the wiring members and the primary molded portions.