Electric junction box for vehicle

• US 6,693,370 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamane, Shigeki, Isshiki, Isao, Onizuka, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rios, Roberto J.
• Application Number:
  US10/277,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20030045137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/147, 361/637, 361/639, 174/68.2
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/242 the contact members being plates having a single slot
• 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: H02G 3/08 Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/202 using self-supporting metal foil pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/328 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4092 Integral conductive tabs, i.e. conductive parts partly detached from the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/026 Multiple connections subassemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/907 Contact having three contact surfaces, including diverse surface

Abstract

Instead of a relay block which is present in bus bar circuits in a conventional electric junction box, semiconductor switching devices 14 are provided, and a power distributing unit PD which is independent of a bus bar circuit unit JB is structured by concentrating these semiconductor switching devices 14, output terminals 12 of this power distributing unit PD being connected to appropriate bus bars 32 of the bus bar circuit unit JB. The power distributing unit PD and the bus bar circuit unit JB are incorporated in a common housing 40.

Claims

1. An electric junction box for a vehicle for connecting a plurality of vehicle-mounted loads to a power source mounted in a vehicle, the electric junction box comprising:

a power distributing unit having an input terminal connected to the power source, a plurality of output terminals, and a plurality of semiconductor switching devices interposed between the input terminal and each of the output terminals;

a bus bar circuit unit having a plurality of metallic bus bars for forming circuits and a plurality of insulating plates each laminated on the plurality of metallic bus bars, the bus bar circuit unit for connecting the output terminals of the power distributing unit to the plurality vehicle-mounted loads; and

a housing incorporating the power distributing unit and the bus bar circuit unit under a condition that some of the bus bars in the bus bar circuit unit are connected with the output terminals of the power distributing unit.

2. The electric junction box according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bus bars and the plurality of insulating plates are alternately superposed on each other in the bus bar circuit unit, and the output terminals of the power distributing unit are connected to the bus bar in the lowermost surface of the bus bar circuit unit.

3. The electric junction box according to claim 1, wherein each of the output terminals of the power distributing unit and some of the bus bars are being directly superposed and connected.

4. The electric junction box according to claim 3, wherein each of the output terminals of the power distributing unit and some of the bus bars are connected by welding.

5. The electric junction box according to claim 1, wherein the power distributing unit includes a radiating member connected to each of the semiconductor switching devices to transfer heat thereto;

and

the power distributing unit is incorporated in the housing to expose the radiating member from an outer surface of the housing.

6. The electric junction box according to claim 5, wherein the power distributing unit includes a drain connection plate on which the semiconductor switching devices are mounted under the condition that the drain connection plate is electrically connected to the input terminal of the power distributing unit and input-side energizing terminals of the semiconductor switching devices are electrically connected to the drain connection plate;

and

wherein the radiating member is connected to the drain connection plate to transfer heat thereto.

7. The electric junction box according to claim 6, wherein the drain connection plate and the input terminal are formed from one metal plate.

8. The electric junction box according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of power-distributing-unit connecting bus bars arrayed in a peripheral edge portion of the bus bar circuit unit,

wherein the output terminals of the power distributing unit are arrayed in a direction so that all of the output terminals project in the same direction;

the power-distributing-unit connecting but bars are arrayed in a direction parallel to the direction of the array of the output terminals; and

the power distributing unit and the bus bar circuit unit are disposed at mutually adjacent positions so that the bus bars and the output terminals are connected to each other.

9. The electric junction box according to claim 8, wherein the semiconductor switching devices are arrayed in a direction parallel to the direction of the array of the output terminals in the power distributing unit, and an output-side switching terminal of each of the semiconductor switching devices are directly connected to each of the output terminals.

10. The electric junction box according to claim 8, wherein the output terminals and the input terminal of the power distributing unit are arrayed in one direction so that the output terminals and the input terminal project in the same direction;

the plurality of power-distributing-unit connecting bus bars are arrayed in the peripheral edge portion of the bus bar circuit unit in the direction parallel to the direction of the array of the output terminals and the input terminal; and

the bus bars are connected to the output terminals and the input terminal so that the input terminal is connected to the power source through the bus bar circuit unit.

11. The electric junction box according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit board connected to external vehicle-mounted electronic units through the bus bar circuit unit and disposed in the housing, the control circuit board including a switching control circuit electrically connected to switching control terminals of the semiconductor switching devices of the power distributing unit to control the switching of the semiconductor switching devices.

12. The electric junction box according to claim 11, wherein the switching control circuit of the control circuit board and the switching control terminals of the semiconductor switching devices are electrically connected through the bus bar circuit unit.

13. The electric junction box according to claim 12, comprising a plurality of power-distributing-unit connecting bus bars arrayed in a peripheral edge portion of the bus bar circuit unit,

wherein the power distributing unit has a plurality of controlling terminals connected to the switching control terminals of the semiconductor switching devices;

the controlling terminals and the output terminals are arrayed in one direction so that each of the controlling terminals and each of the output terminals are alternately arranged and project in the same direction;

the plurality of power-distributing-unit connecting bus bars are arrayed in a direction parallel to the direction of the array of the output terminals and the controlling terminals; and

the power distributing unit and the bus bar circuit unit are disposed at mutually adjacent positions so that the bus bars are connected to the output terminals and the controlling terminals.

14. The electric junction box according to claim 11, wherein the control circuit board is disposed to be substantially parallel to a direction of the array of the power distributing unit and the bus bar circuit unit.

15. The electric junction box according to claim 14, wherein the control circuit board is disposed such that at least a portion of the control circuit board overlaps the power distributing unit;

and

the control circuit board comprises a board accommodating portion for accommodating the control circuit board and a connector portion for connecting the bus bar circuit unit to external circuits, the connector portion disposed adjacent to the board accommodating portion.

16. The electric junction box according to claim 11, wherein the semiconductor switching devices are arrayed in a direction parallel to the direction of the array of the output terminals and the controlling terminals, and output-side switching terminals;

and

the switching control terminals of the semiconductor switching devices are respectively directly connected to the output terminals and the controlling terminals.

17. The electric junction box according to claim 11, wherein the output terminals, the input terminals, and the controlling terminals of the power distributing unit are arrayed in one direction to project in the same direction;

the plurality of power-distributing-unit connecting bus bars are arrayed in the peripheral edge portion of the bus bar circuit unit in the direction parallel to the direction of the array of the output terminals, the input terminal and the controlling terminals; and

the bus bars are connected to the output terminals, the input terminal, and the controlling terminals so that the input terminal is connected to the power source through the bus bar circuit unit.

18. The electric junction box according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminals of the power distributing unit is formed from a metal plate, and is disposed in a substantially identical plane.

19. The electric junction box according to claim 18, wherein the terminals are integrally formed by resin molding to be disposed in the substantially identical plane, a power-distributing-unit housing is formed by the resin molding, and the terminals project from the housing toward the bus bar circuit unit side.