Electrical connector box with customizable bus bar circuit assembly

• US 6,875,030 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Hirokazu, Oda, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyeon, Hae Moon
• Application Number:
  US10/638,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20040058570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.2, 439/949, 439/189
• 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

An electrical connector box includes first bus bars arranged in one direction, each first bus bar having first connector bands, several pairs of pinch prongs respectively extending therefrom, and first separator portions each forming a circuit connection pattern by being removed from between a pair of first connector bands. Also included are second bus bars arranged in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first bus bars, each second bus bar having second connector bands for frictional insertion between respective pairs of pinch prongs, second terminals extending from the second connector bands, and second separator portions each forming a circuit connection pattern by being removed from between a pair of respective second connector bands. A lower case has first lower slots respectively accepting the first bus bars, and an upper case connects over the lower case, and has 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 of said plurality of first bus bars comprising;

a plurality of bent first connector bands;

a plurality of pairs of pinch prongs respectively extending from said first connector bands; and

a plurality of first separator portions each configured to be removed from between a pair of said first connector bands;

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

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

a plurality of second terminals respectively extending from said second connector bands; and

a plurality of second separator portions each configured to be removed from between a pair of said 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 first bus bars; and

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

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

wherein said second bus bar connector bands respectively engage said first connector bands in the bus bar assembly.

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

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

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

3. 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 second bus bars.

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

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

removing at least one of a plurality of first separator portions from between a pair of first connector bands;

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

removing at least one of a plurality of second separator portions from between a pair of the second connector bands;

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

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

assembling an upper case 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 second terminals of one of the bus bars extends into one of the plug-in apertures, the case housing accommodating the bus bar assembly; and

bending the first connector bands to form bent first connector bands such that the second bus bar connector bands respectively engage the first connector bands, in the bus bar assembly.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising connecting a plug-in block to one of the plug-in-apertures, the plug-in block having a plurality of connector terminals attached to a plurality of respective ends of a respective plurality of wires, such that the connector terminals respectively connect to the second terminals.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising inserting the second bus bars into a respective plurality of second lower slots formed in the floor of the lower case.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein forming the bus bar assembly further comprises:

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

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