Terminal box

• US 8,139,373 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masayoshi, Marubayashi, Michiya, Nakazono, Shinji, Shimasaki, Koji, Utsunomiya, Keiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US12/664,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 361728-730, 361/752, 361796-797, 361800-803, 361/807, 361/810, 361/816, 361/818, 312/223.1, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 361/800
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/345 with cooling means associated with the electrical connection means, e.g. cooling means associated with or applied to the junction box cooling means for PV cells H01L31/052, for PV modules H02S40/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A terminal box for a solar cell module is composed of, a box body, an inner cover and an outer cover, wherein the box body includes a bottom plate, an outer plate arranged in an upright manner around the bottom plate, and an inner plate arranged also in an upright manner inside the outer plate to enclose a circuit housing area; the inner cover includes a top plate and a side plate extended downward from an outer circumference of the top plate, and is formed into a lid shape and fitted around an outer surface of the inner plate to cover the circuit housing area; and the outer cover is fitted around the outer plate of the box body to thereby cover the inner cover and the box body, wherein the terminal box further includes a fitting member that causes the inner cover to be fitted to the box body to thereby prevent the inner cover from being removed from the circuit housing area.

Claims

1. A terminal box for a solar cell module comprising:

a box body including

a bottom plate;

an outer plate arranged in an upright manner on an outer circumference of the bottom plate; and

an inner plate arranged in an upright manner inside the outer plate to thereby enclose a circuit housing area for housing an electrical circuit;

an electrical circuit housed in the circuit housing area;

a filler filled in the circuit housing area;

an inner cover including

a top plate; and

a side plate extended downward from an outer circumference of the top plate, wherein

the inner cover is formed into a lid shape with a metallic plate and fitted around an outer surface of the inner plate of the box body to thereby cover the circuit housing area; and

an outer cover fitted around the outer plate of the box body to thereby cover the inner cover and the box body, wherein

the terminal box further comprises

a fitting member arranged on the side plate of the inner cover and the outer plate of the box body to thereby prevent the inner cover from being removed from the circuit housing area.

2. The terminal box according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover is attached to the box body such that a peripheral portion of the outer cover pushes an outer circumference of the top plate of the inner cover towards a top edge portion of the inner plate of the box body.

3. The terminal box according to claim 1, wherein

the fitting member includes

a hook portion arranged on the side plate of the inner cover such that

the hook portion is extended toward the outer plate of the box body, and

a locking member arranged inside the outer plate of the box body so as to be fitted to the hook portion.

4. The terminal box according to claim 3, wherein the hook portion is obliquely extended from the side plate of the inner cover towards the outer cover.

5. The terminal box according to claim 3, wherein the sum of a height of the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and a length of the hook portion is equal to a height of a side plate on which the hook portion is not arranged in the inner cover.

6. The terminal box according to claim 3, wherein the locking member is a protrusion arranged on an inner surface of the outer plate.

7. The terminal box according to claim 6, further comprising:

a space between the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and the inner plate of the box body, wherein a distance between the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and an end portion of the hook portion is longer than a distance between the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and the protrusion.

8. The terminal box according to claim 3, wherein the locking member is a concave portion arranged on an inner surface of the outer plate.

9. The terminal box according to claim 8, further comprising:

a space between the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and the inner plate of the box body, wherein the distance between the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and an end portion of the hook portion is longer than a distance between the side plate on which the hook portion is arranged in the inner cover and the outer plate of the box body.

10. The terminal box according claim 1, wherein at least one air hole is arranged on both the top plate of the inner cover and the outer cover.