Electrical connection box for an automotive vehicle

An electrical connection box for an automotive vehicle is provided which reduces costs for parts by allowing only printed circuit boards with necessary electronic control circuits to be selectively mounted. The electrical connection box has a plurality of partition members 3 integrally and projectingly formed on a side surface of a casing 1, i.e. an inner surface of an accommodation space 2 at specified intervals. The respective partition members 3 extend from the upper surface to the lower surface of the casing 1 and the leading ends thereof project sideways. Printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c are inserted into spaces between neighboring partition members 4a, 4b, 4c. On each of the printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c are mounted a variety of electronic devices such as a relay, a diode and a capacitor constituting an electronic control circuit. In such an electrical connection box, only the printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c having the necessary electronic control circuits mounted according to a vehicle type can be selectively accommodated in the accommodation space 2. Therefore, there are no unused electronic control circuits and, a cost for parts can be reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an electrical connection box for an 
automotive vehicle. The connection box is designed to enable only printed 
circuit boards having necessary electronic control circuits for a 
particular vehicle type to be selectively mountable in the connection box 
to reduce a cost for parts. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In recent years, electronics have been applied increasingly to vehicles to 
accommodate electric devices having a variety of functions. Electronic 
control circuits for controlling these electric devices are collectively 
installed in an electrical connection box comprised of a single junction 
box. 
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a prior art electronic control unit 
accommodating portion 53 is provided at one side of a casing 50 of a prior 
art electrical connection box, and one printed circuit board 52 is 
accommodated in the accommodating portion 53 along an inner surface of its 
side wall. A variety of electronic parts such as relays, diodes, 
capacitors constructing electronic control circuits for controlling the 
electric devices are mounted on the printed circuit board 52. The printed 
circuit board 52 is connected electrically with a terminal 51b provided in 
a connector receptacle 51a formed in a cover 51 of the prior art 
accommodating portion 53. For example, a prior art connector is provided 
at the leading end of a wiring harness that is connected with the 
respective electric devices such as an intermittent windshield wiper, a 
key alarm and a shift lock. This prior art connector is fitted into the 
connector receptacle 51a for the connection. 
Automotive vehicles are equipped with different electric devices depending 
on their types, and optional electric devices may be equipped according to 
a car owner's wish. The prior art printed circuit board 52 in the casing 
50 of the prior art electrical connection box is provided with electronic 
control circuits for controlling all electric devices for all types of 
vehicles. Electronic control circuits for electric devices that are not 
provided on a particular vehicle are rendered unusable. Thus, the printed 
circuit board 52 can conform to the vehicle type and meet the car owner's 
wish. 
The above described prior art electrical connection box includes electronic 
control circuits which are not used at all on certain vehicle types. This 
results in an increased cost for parts. 
In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to 
provide an electrical connection box for an automotive vehicle which has a 
reduced cost for parts. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, there is provided an electrical connection box 
for an automotive vehicle comprising a junction box which is connected or 
connectable with an automotive wiring harness and which is provided with 
one or more electronic and/or electric control circuits. An accommodation 
space for the electronic control circuits is provided on a casing of the 
electrical connection box, and printed circuit boards having necessary 
electronic and/or electric control circuits, according to a vehicle type, 
are inserted or insertable individually into the accommodation space via 
one or more partition members. 
Accordingly, there is provided an electrical connection box for an 
automotive vehicle which has a reduced cost for parts by allowing only 
printed circuit boards with necessary electronic control circuits to be 
selectively mounted. 
Preferably, an electrical connection box for an automotive vehicle is 
provided with a junction box connected with an automotive wiring harness, 
and is provided internally with electronic control circuits. An 
accommodation space of the electronic control circuits is provided at one 
side of a casing of the electrical connection box, and printed circuit 
boards having necessary electronic control circuits mounted according to a 
vehicle type are inserted individually into the accommodation space via 
partition members. 
With the above construction, the printed circuit boards having the 
electronic control circuits mounted thereon can be inserted individually 
into the casing of the electrical connection box via the partition 
members. Accordingly, only the printed circuit boards having the necessary 
electronic control circuits thereon according to the vehicle type can be 
installed in the casing of the electrical connection box, thereby 
eliminating the unused electronic control circuits from the construction, 
unlike the prior art. 
One or more partition members may be formed integrally or unitarily and 
projectingly on a corresponding surface of the accommodation space. 
Additionally or alternatively one or more partition members may be 
provided separately from the casing of the electrical connection box. 
Preferably partition member fitting grooves are formed in a corresponding 
surface of the accommodation space at specified intervals and/or the size 
of an accommodating portion for each printed circuit board having the 
electronic control circuit thereon is made adjustable by selectively 
mounting the separate partition members in corresponding partition member 
fitting grooves. 
The partition members may be integrally and projectingly formed on an inner 
surface of the accommodation space, and/or may be provided separately from 
the casing of the electrical connection box. 
In the case that the partition members are provided separately from the 
casing of the electrical connection box, partition member fitting grooves 
may be formed in the inner surface of the accommodation space at specified 
intervals and the size of an accommodating portion for each printed 
circuit board having the electronic control circuit thereon is made 
adjustable by selectively mounting the separate partition members in the 
partition member fitting grooves. Therefore, the printed circuit boards of 
the sizes according to the scales of the electronic control circuits can 
be accommodated. 
A cover provided with one or more connector receptacles for the connection 
with the printed circuit boards may be connected or connectable in advance 
with the printed circuit boards having the respective electronic control 
circuits mounted thereon, so that an opening to the accommodation space 
preferably can be closed substantially by the cover. 
A cover provided with connector receptacles for the connection with the 
printed circuit boards may be connected in advance with the printed 
circuit boards having the respective electronic control circuits mounted 
thereon, so that an opening of the accommodation space can be closed by 
the cover. 
With this construction, the printed circuit boards can be accommodated in 
the casing of the electrical connection box and the opening of the 
accommodation space can be closed by the cover formed with the connector 
receptacles. This leads to an improved assembling operability. 
Partition members having leading ends of different lengths may be arranged 
so that the one or more printed circuit boards may be arranged on 
different planes. Accordingly a more compact arrangement of the printed 
circuit boards may be achieved thus improving the space utilization. 
Printed circuit boards having different lengths may be used and arranged, 
in particular, by overlapping a portion thereof with a portion of the 
adjacent printed circuit board and arranging them on planes that may be 
substantially parallel to each other. 
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention 
will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed 
description and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
An electrical connection box for an automotive vehicle which is comprised 
of a junction box is connected with electric and/or electronic devices 
such as an intermittent windshield wiper, a key alarm and a shift lock, a 
board computer via a wiring harness. The electrical connection box 
preferably is provided internally with electronic control circuits for 
controlling the electric and/or electronic devices. 
As shown in FIG. 1, an accommodation space 2 for electronic control 
circuits (not shown) is provided at one side of a casing 1 of the 
electrical connection box. 
A plurality of partition members 3 are formed integrally or unitarily and 
projectingly on an inner side surface of the accommodation space 2 of the 
casing at specified intervals. The respective partition members 3 extend 
from the upper surface to the lower surface of the casing 1, and the 
leading ends thereof project at an angle different from 0.degree. or 
180.degree., and preferably substantially sideways or parallel to the 
inner side surface of the accommodation space 2. 
One or more printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c are inserted into spaces 
between neighboring partition members 3. A variety of electronic and/or 
electric parts, such as a relay, a diode and a capacitor constituting an 
electronic and/or electric control circuit, are mounted or are mountable 
on each of the printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c. 
For example, an electronic control circuit for the shift lock is mounted on 
the printed circuit board 4a; an electronic control circuit for the key 
alarm is mounted on the printed circuit board 4b; and an electronic 
control circuit for the intermittent windshield wiper is mounted on the 
printed circuit board 4c. 
Spacings between neighboring partition members 3 are substantially equal to 
the widths of the respective printed circuit board 4a, 4b, 4c to be 
mounted or inserted or arranged therebetween. 
The upper surface of the casing 1, i.e. the opening of the accommodation 
space 2 is closed by a cover 5. The cover 5 is provided with connector 
receptacles 5a for connection with the printed circuit boards to provide 
connector spaces 5b. Terminals 5c in the connector spaces 5b are 
electrically connected or connectable with the respective printed circuit 
boards 4a, 4b, 4c. Connectors (not shown) are or can be accommodated in 
the connector spaces 5b. The connectors are provided at the leading ends 
of wiring harnesses having their other ends connected or connectable with 
the respective electric devices. 
In the electrical connection box as above, only the printed circuit boards 
4a, 4b, 4c having the necessary electronic control circuits according to 
the vehicle type can be accommodated selectively in the accommodation 
space 2. Thus, there are no unused electronic control circuits as in the 
prior art and, therefore, a cost for parts can be reduced. 
Although the partition members 3 integrally project from the casing 1 in 
the first embodiment, they may be provided separately from the casing 1. 
In this case, as shown in a second embodiment of FIG. 2, a plurality of 
partition member fitting grooves 10a are formed preferably in an inner 
surface of the accommodation space 2, i.e. a side surface of a casing 10 
at specified (predetermined or predeterminable) intervals. Each partition 
member fitting groove 10a is comprised of a slit 10b which is formed in 
the inner surface of the casing 10 to extend from the upper surface to the 
lower surface. A partition member accommodating portion 10c which is 
preferably substantially continuous with the slit 10b projects preferably 
toward the outside of the casing 10. 
Partition members 30 are each formed with a mount portion 30a to be 
mountable on the casing 10 at one end and a fixing portion 30b to be 
connectable with the corresponding one of the printed circuit boards 4a, 
4b, 4c. The mount portions 30a and the fixing portion 30b both have 
leading ends that project substantially sideways, i.e. at an angle 
different form 0.degree. or 180.degree. with respect to a main body 30c 
thereof, and preferably extend substantially from the upper surface of the 
casing 10 toward substantially the lower surface thereof. 
The partition member 30 may be provided with additional fixing portions 30d 
projecting preferably from the main body 30c for holding or positioning 
the printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c, preferably at a distance from the 
casing 10. The main bodies may be formed with different longitudinal 
lengths (not shown) so as to allow the arrangement of the printed circuit 
boards 4a, 4b, 4c on a plurality of different planes that preferably are 
substantially parallel to each other. 
By selecting the partition member fitting groove 10a and mounting the 
separate partition member 30, the sizes of the accommodating portions for 
the printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c can be adjusted by adjusting 
spacings between neighboring partition members 30. Accordingly, the 
printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c having different sizes depending on the 
scales of the electronic control circuits can be accommodated. 
The printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c mounted separately in the casings 1, 
10 in the first and second embodiments. However, assembling operability 
can be improved by connecting a cover formed with connector receptacles 
for the connection with the printed circuit boards in advance by an 
L-shaped fixing device, inserting the printed circuit boards 4a, 4b, 4c 
into the spaces between neighboring partition members 3, in the 
accommodation space 2, and mounting the cover 5 on the upper surface of 
the casing 1 or 10. The same effect as above can be obtained even if a 
cover is integrally formed with the printed circuits. 
As is clear from the above description, the printed circuit boards having 
the electronic control circuits mounted thereon can be inserted 
individually into the casing of the electrical connection box via the one 
or more partition members. Thus, only the printed circuit boards having 
the necessary electronic control circuits mounted according the vehicle 
type can be installed in the casing of the electrical connection box, 
thereby eliminating the unused electronic control circuits from the 
construction unlike the prior art. This brings about a reduced cost for 
parts.