Junction box

Provided is a junction box 10 with an electric circuit formed by laminating a plurality of resinous plates 51, wherein a plurality of pole structures 61 is uprightly formed on a bottom (lower casing 60) of the junction box so as to be located at a position not overlapping the conductive patterns 52 of the laminated plates and to face a direction of penetrating the plates, in which a plurality of insertion holes 53 is formed in the resinous plates 51 so as to allow the pole structures 61 to be inserted therethrough, in which the plurality of pole structures 61 is formed to have different heights, and in which insertion holes 53 are formed in each of the resinous plates 51 so as to allow the pole structures 61 to be inserted therethrough and to match with the heights of the pole structures 61 having different heights.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a junction box with an electric circuit formed by laminating plural plates each having a conductive pattern, and particularly, to a conduction part holding mechanism of a junction box when plural plates are laminated.

BACKGROUND ART

A junction box is a box which accommodates collectively connection portions of wires at one position therein. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-220165, the junction box has a structure in which a circuit unit is formed by laminating plural resinous plates (circuit boards) each having a foil circuit (conductive pattern), and a circuit casing is formed by fitting upper and lower casings to each other.

Column-like anchor pins are integrally formed with the resinous plates formed of a synthetic resin so as to protrude upward from plural positions of the resinous plates, the anchor pins are inserted through pin holes provided in the foil circuit formed of copper foil or the like, and the upper portions of the anchor pins are pressed and crushed by heat, so that the foil circuit is positioned and fixed to the resinous plates.

Further, the foil circuits of the resinous plates are connected to each other via a bus bar (an insertion terminal formed by a conductive member) penetrating through the resinous plates.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

However, when the junction box having the above-described configuration is used in, for example, a generator circuit of an engine generator, the copper foil of the foil circuit on the resinous plate may be peeled off or dropped therefrom due to vibration or impact during an operation therefore. In this case, a problem may arise in that the circuits are not electrically connected to each other or the circuits are short-circuited to each other when the foil circuits contact the foil circuits of other circuits formed on the same resinous plate.

Further, since the foil circuits formed on the resinous plates are generally different from each other, a problem may arise in that a desired circuit is not formed or other circuits are formed when the resinous plates are laminated in a different lamination order.

The invention is made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the invention is to improve reliability in electric conduction of a junction box formed by laminating plural plates each having a conductive pattern.

Solution to Problem

To achieve the above object, the present invention of the claim1is a junction box (10) with an electric circuit formed by laminating a plurality of plates (51) each having a conductive pattern (52) thereon and connecting the desired conductive patterns to each other by terminals (52a)penetrating (52b)the laminated plates, the junction box comprising:

a plurality of pole structures (61) which is uprightly formed on a bottom surface of the junction box so as to be located at a position not overlapping the conductive patterns (52) of the laminated plates and to face a direction of penetrating the plates; and

a plurality of insertion holes (53) which is formed in the plates (51) so as to allow the pole structures (61) to be inserted therethrough.

The present invention of the claim2is the junction box according to claim1,

wherein the plurality of pole structures (61) is formed to have different heights, and

wherein insertion holes (53) are formed in each of the plates (51) so as to allow the pole structures (61) to be inserted therethrough and to match with the heights of the pole structures (61) having different heights.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the configuration of the first feature (claim1), since the movement of the peeled-off or separated conductive pattern (52) is restricted by the pole structure (61) even when the conductive pattern (52) is peeled off or separated from the plate (51) due to vibration or impact, the contact with other conductive patterns may be prevented, and the positional deviation between the plates may be suppressed.

According to the configuration of the second feature (claim2), since the pole structures (61) having different heights are provided in each plate (51), and the insertion holes (53) are provided in each plate so as to match with the heights of the pole structures (61), a structure may be obtained in which the pole structures (61) are not inserted into the insertion holes (53) in a wrong lamination order of the plates (51).

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of a junction box of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The junction box of the invention is used in an operating machine equipped with an engine and performing various operations, and is applied to, for example, an engine generator1as shown inFIG. 1.

The electric part connection mechanism of the operating machine of the invention is applied to an engine generator (operating machine)1as shown inFIG. 1. The engine generator1has a structure in which, on a frame6, an engine2which is driven by gasoline, an AC generator3which is driven by the engine2so as to generate electricity, a fuel tank4which contains gasoline therein, and a control panel (operation panel)5which is used to perform various operations, and the like are mounted.

The control panel5is equipped with a start switch51which is used to start a driving operation of the engine, a voltage switching switch21which is used to switch an output voltage (100 V and 200 V), various display units (not shown) which are used to display an operation status thereon, and the like.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, a junction box10constituting a control panel casing is disposed at the rear side of the control panel5. An assembling terminal11is formed at the left position of the junction box10so as to be connected to an electric circuit of the junction box10.

An assembling terminal11of a junction box10is connected to a switch portion20mounted on a control panel5via a relay connector30of a cylindrical body.

The switch portion20is used to switch the connection of the generator circuit (a circuit of an operating machine)13of the junction box10so that the voltage supplied from the engine generator1is switched when the voltage switching switch21disposed on the front surface of the control panel5is switched. Further, plural male terminals23are disposed on the rear surface of the switch portion20in a protruding manner, where the male terminals23are connected to the internal circuit so that the connection status thereof is changed when the voltage switching switch21is switched.

As shown inFIG. 3, the junction box10is configured such that a laminated circuit50formed by laminating plural resinous plates51is fitted to upper and lower casings40and60. Each of the resinous plates51, the upper casing40, and the lower casing60is formed of an insulating resin by injection molding.

A conductive pattern is formed on each resinous plate51in the form of a predetermined pattern by using a copper foil, and a conductive insertion terminal (not shown) penetrates the resinous plates51so that the desired conductive patterns are connected to each other and an electric circuit is formed.

The upper casing30and the lower casing40may be provided with a terminal and the like connected to the electric circuit if necessary.

The arrangement relationship in the circuit unit between the laminated circuit50formed by laminating plural resinous plates51and the lower casing60of the junction box10will be described with reference toFIGS. 4 and 5. Further, the shapes of the resinous plates51and the lower casing60shown inFIGS. 4 and 5are different from those of the resinous plates51and the lower casing60shown inFIG. 3.

Plural column-like pole structures61are uprightly formed in the lower casing60as the bottom of the junction box10so as to penetrate the resinous plates51. The pole structures61are integrally formed when the lower casing60is injection-molded. Further, each conductive pattern52is formed on each of the resinous plates51.

The number of the pole structures61is equal to or more than the number of the laminated resinous plates51. In the examples ofFIGS. 4 and 5, four pole structures61are provided with respect to three resinous plates51. An insertion hole53is perforated in each resinous plate51so as to be located at a position not overlapping each conductive pattern52and to allow each pole structure61to pass therethrough.

Each pole structure61is formed so as to have a height corresponding to a difference in the height of the laminated resinous plates51. Further, the insertion hole53is formed in the resinous plate51so as to allow each pole structure61to be inserted therethrough and to match with the heights of the pole structures61having different heights. That is, a minimum number of insertion holes53are formed in each resinous plate51so as to allow the pole structures61having different heights to be inserted therethrough.

For example, in the examples ofFIGS. 4 and 5, the resinous plate lamination side of the lower casing60is provided with a pole structure61A penetrating three resinous plates51a,51b, and51c, a pole structure61B penetrating two resinous plates51aand51b, a pole structure61C penetrating three resinous plates51a,51b, and51c, and a pole structure61D penetrating only one resinous plate51a.

Then, the resinous plate51ais provided with an insertion hole53athrough which the pole structure61A passes, an insertion hole53bthrough which the pole structure61B passes, an insertion hole53cthrough which the pole structure61C passes, and an insertion hole53dthrough which the pole structure61D passes.

The resinous plate51bis provided with the insertion hole53athrough which the pole structure61A passes, the insertion hole53bthrough which the pole structure61B passes, and the insertion hole53cthrough which the pole structure61cpasses.

The resinous plate51cis provided with the insertion hole53athrough which the pole structure61A passes through, and the insertion hole53cthrough which the pole structure61C passes.

The pole structures61A,61B,61C, and61D having different heights are provided in the resinous plates51a,51b, and51c, and the insertion holes53a,53b,53c, and53dare provided in the pole structures61of the resinous plates51. Accordingly, only the resinous plate51ahaving the insertion holes53a,53b,53c, and53dmay be placed at the first layer of the lower casing60, only the resinous plate51bhaving the insertion holes53a,53b, and53cmay be placed thereon, and only the resinous plate51cmay be placed thereon. Therefore, the laminated circuit50may have a structure in which the pole structures61may not be inserted through the insertion holes53when the resinous plates51are laminated in a wrong lamination order.

That is, since the pole structures61have heights corresponding to a difference in the height of the resinous plates51, the resinous plates51may not be laminated in a wrong lamination order.

In the examples ofFIGS. 4 and 5, although the pole structures61A,61B, and61C are depicted to be disposed on the same line of the lower casing60for the convenience of description in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 5, the pole structures may not be disposed in the linear shape, but may be disposed at any position so long as the conductive pattern52is not formed in the lower casing60(a position not overlapping the conductive pattern52).

Further, in the above-described example, the pole structure61is uprightly formed in the lower casing60as the bottom of the junction box. However, when the lower casing60is simply a lower cover of the junction box10, the resinous plate51located at the lowermost layer of the laminated circuit50may be used as the bottom of the junction box10, and the pole structure61may be provided thereon.

According to the above-described configuration, even when the conductive pattern52is peeled off or separated from the resinous plate51due to vibration or impact when operating the engine generator1, the peeled-off or separated conductive pattern52may tend to move on the plate surface. However, since the conductive pattern comes into contact with the pole structures61, the conductive pattern is prevented from contacting other conductive patterns, and hence a problem caused by the peeled-off or separated conductive pattern may be prevented in the electric circuit.

Further, since the position of the resinous plate51is fixed by the pole structures61, the positional deviation between the resinous plates may be suppressed.

Furthermore, the pole structures61having different heights are provided in the lower casing60as the bottom of the junction box10, and the insertion holes53are perforated in the resinous plates51according to the heights of the pole structures61. Accordingly, since the pole structures61may not be inserted through the insertion holes53when the lamination order of the resinous plates51is not correct, a difference in the lamination order may be easily checked.

In the above-described example, an example has been described in which the junction box10of the invention is applied to the engine generator1, but the invention may be applied to junction boxes of other operating machines (pump and the like) in which vibration or impact is easily generated by an engine.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1: ENGINE GENERATOR

3: AC GENERATOR

4: FUEL TANK

10: JUNCTION BOX

20: SWITCH PORTION

21: VOLTAGE SWITCHING SWITCH

61: POLE STRUCTURE