Abstract:
The invention, electrical distribution box with compacting system for its integral elements, consists of an electrical distribution box, suitable for being used preferably in automobiles, which has the means for insulating the conductor block housed in it, generally made up of several printed circuit boards, and of carrying out a solid fixing between them and the box, so that they react as one to the tensions caused by the vibrations in the vehicle during its operation, preventing it from being affected by said tensions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The purpose of the invention consists of providing an electrical distribution box, suitable for being used preferably in automobiles, which has the means of insulating the conductor block located in it, generally made up of several printed circuit boards, and of carrying out a strong fixing between them and the box, so that they react as one to the tensions caused by the vehicle during its operation, preventing its integral parts from being affected by said tensions.  
           [0003]    2. Object of the Invention  
           [0004]    The conventional basic make-up of an electrical distribution box, normally used in automobiles, consists of the use of a box object, appropriately fixed to the chassis of the vehicle, and removably locked by means of a cap. Said object houses a conductor block suitable for carrying out the interconnections of the electrical system, generally in the form of one or more printed circuit boards, the means of electrical connection, for both input and output, as well as other components, fuses, relays, etc., all of which are in this way conveniently insulated and protected from unwanted electrical contacts.  
           [0005]    The vibrations the box is subjected to during the operation of the vehicle, cause the fixing means it houses to become loose and gradually lose effectiveness, which causes an increase in the vibrations of said components, exposing them to deterioration of their connections, loosening or even breakage.  
           [0006]    This is particularly serious when the printed circuit boards are affected, as these vibrating movements cause tensions in its basic substratum, which are transmitted to the welding points of the conductor material of the circuit, causing it to fracture and as a consequence causing interference in its operation, or even its annulment.  
           [0007]    It is on this basis that the invention we are dealing with has been designed.  
           [0008]    It is about providing an electrical distribution box, suitable for being used in automobiles or similar vehicles, which has a limited number of means of tightening of mechanical operation for the fixing of the components it houses. These means of tightening of mechanical operation being sufficiently robust so as not to be affected by the vibrations of the box, maintaining an efficient and lasting adjustment for the set of components. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    These and other qualities and advantages of the invention may easily be obvious to all experts in the art, during the course of the detailed description which follows, which has been carried out in connection with the drawings which are attached and in which an example of practical implementation is shown, currently preferred, of the electrical distribution box which we are dealing with, among other possibilities, constituted on the basis of the teachings of this document, which is given for illustration purposes only and is not binding, and where:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 shows a partially reduced view of the section of a cut made on the vertical plane of an electrical distribution box of an automobile, carried out in accordance with the invention, which passes axially through the device for the tightening and fixing of its parts and of the electrical components it houses, and where their shape and layout can be clearly appreciated.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a similar view to the previous figure, also on a vertical axial, but is of the detail of the fixing device among its components, is taken on a displaced radially axial plane compared to the axial cut plane in said previous figure; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 represents a substantially enlarged and partial detail of the view in FIG. 1, where the shape and disposition of the involved parts referred to can be seen in detail, some of which have been magnified for a better understanding of the whole, particularly the integral conductor material of the printed circuit. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    In the drawings and more specifically in FIG. 1, with the number  1  a box object is generally designated which may be parallelepiped, but which does not necessarily have to be so, on which cap  2  fits, and within which both printed circuit boards  4  and  5  are housed, conveniently distanced from each other by means of a separating element  3 , and secured at the ends using bracket elements  7 ; being made up of the box object  1 , the cap  2  and the separating element  3  made from a material of low or no electrical conductivity, such as thermoplastic or similar.  
         [0014]    Said box object  1  jointly has at least one cylindrical shaft  11 , preferably centred on its interior end surface, or strategically distributed on it when there are more than one, with the aim of balancing the tensions which it will stand, which has a trumpet-shaped end,  12 , and which axially has a passage  13  which is prolonged by a threaded blind passage  14 . And distributed along said interior end surface, and also jointly on it, are a number of cylindrical objects  16 , topped by a semi-spherical stub  17 , and distributed in accordance with the make-up of the printed circuit housed by the box, for a purpose which will be seen later.  
         [0015]    Cap  2 , which as has been stated previously is suitable to be tightly housed within the box object  1 , has a cylindrical shaft  21 , of a diameter substantially bigger than the diameter of shaft  11  of the box object  1 , which it matches up with positionally, which is prolonged by means of a trumpet-shaped portion  23  similar to the trumpet-shaped portion  12  of said cylinder  11 . And from the exterior, said shaft  21  has a cylindrical axial passage  24 , which is finished off by means of a portion of the same cylindrical shape and of a smaller diameter  25 , a diameter which is equal to the diameter of the portion of the cylindrical passage  13  of the shaft  11  of the box object  1 . And also on its internal surface it has a number of cylindrical objects  22 , finished off by means of a semispherical stub  26 , and distributed in accordance with the aforementioned makeup of the printed circuit housed by the box.  
         [0016]    The separating means or object  3  is formed by a laminated board  31 , of a smaller area than the area of the printed circuit boards from which it will be distanced, it has on both surfaces two troncoconic coaxial protuberances among themselves and by way of horns  32 , which have an axial cylindrical assistant passage  34  whose diameter is equal to the diameter of the passages  13  and  25  of the body of the box  1  and of the cap  2 , respectively. A number of troncoconic protuberances  33  have been distributed on both surfaces, which may or may not be coaxially opposed.  
         [0017]    The printed circuit boards  4  and  5 , substantially conventional and which are formed from a basic laminated substratum,  41  or  51 , non-conductor of electricity, which has a circular passage,  44  or  54 , positionally corresponding to the location of the shafts  11  and  21 , and whose diameter is slightly bigger than the diameter of the passages  13 ,  25  and  34 , respectively corresponding to the body of the box  1 , of the cap  2  and the separating object  3 , but less than the exterior perimeter of the edge of their corresponding horns, for a purpose which will be described next. The printed circuits prepared on their surfaces,  42  and  43  or  52  and  53 , have a reserve  45  around the circular passage  44 , as well as a number of said reserves  46  distributed on the opposite surface to the surface of contact with the separating object  3 , and in the position corresponding to the position of the cylindrical objects  16  and  22 , so that its stubs,  46  and  56 , come into contact with the basic substratum,  41  or  51 .  
         [0018]    Finally a screw  6 , has a cylindrical body  61  suitable for being tightly fitted within the passages  25 ,  34  and  13  of the shaft  21  the cap  2 , the separating object  3 , and the shaft  11  of the body of the box  1 , and has a length which is less than the total length of said passages,  25 ,  34  and  13  plus the thickness of the basic substratum  41  and  51  of the printed circuit boards  4  and  5 . From one of its ends said body  61  is prolonged by means of a portion of coaxial threaded offshoot, which is suitable for housing a thread on the threaded passage  14  of the shaft  11  of the body of the box  1 . At the other end it has a cylindrical head  63 , able to be housed within the passage  24  of the shaft  21  of the cap  2 , and being placed on the step  27  formed by said passage and the adjacent passage  25 . And at the top it has a hexagonal space  64 , suitable for receiving a key for its manipulation, but which as will be understood this is not an indispensable requirement, as it could have any other conventional means of being manipulated.  
         [0019]    So, for the assembly and compacting of the whole thing we proceed to place one of the printed circuits, circuit  5 , on the shaft  11  and on the cylindrical objects  16 , aligning their circular passage  54  with the passage  13  of said shaft  11 , so that its peripheral edge is placed on the surface of the end of the horn  12  of this, and the basic substratum  51 , through the reserves  56  of the printed circuit on its inferior surface  53 , on the stubs  17 . Next the separating object is placed on top  3 , aligning its assistant passage  34  with the circular passage  54  of the printed circuit  5 , so that the end of the protuberances by way of horns  32  are placed on the periphery of the edge of said circular passage  54 , and the troncoconic protuberances  33  on the printed circuit of the upper surface,  52 , proceeding with the other printed circuit, circuit  4 , in the same way. Next the cap  2  is placed on the whole which is thereby formed, so that the furthest end of the trumpet-shaped portion  23  is placed on the periphery of the circular passage  44  of the circuit  4 , and the stubs  26  of the cylindrical objects  22 , through the reserves  46  of the printed circuit  4  on the basic substratum  41 .  
         [0020]    Subsequently the screw  6  is introduced so that its threaded portion  61  is housed within the threaded passage  14  of the shaft  11  of the body of the box  1 , and up to its head  63  is placed on the step  27  of the shaft  21 , from which as it is being threaded both shafts will approach each other,  11  and  21 , which will exercise a compression on the intervening elements, achieving in this way a permanent fixing for the whole thing.  
         [0021]    Additionally, brackets or similar items  7  will be placed on the ends of the printed circuit boards,  4  and  5 , with the aim of preventing any gyrating oscillation of said boards.  
         [0022]    Certain changes, modifications or variations may be added to the method described, as the detail of the above is only for illustration purposes and is not binding. It is intended that all these changes and others that may be thought of by people skilled in the art, are included within this document, as long as it does not exceed the spirit and widest scope of the following claims.