Abstract:
Casing members of an electrical junction box are provided in their sidewalls with openings for receiving a connector housing for lateral connection, respectively in order to provide an electrical junction box in which the position of a connector housing for lateral connection to be provided on a sidewall of a casing can be changed, thereby sharing the electrical junction box with different specifications of vehicles. The lateral connector housing is detachably secured to the openings. The lateral connector housing is adapted to receive a connector. A closing lid is detachably secured to the openings in the case where the connector is not connected to the housing. The openings are provided symmetrically in the right and left sidewalls of the casing members. Internal circuits are contained in the casing members. Some internal circuits adjacent the openings are formed into symmetrically same configurations and disposed symmetrically in the casing members. This enables the electrical junction box to be shared with a symmetrical arrangement in a specification of a vehicle.

Description:
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY 
     The present invention relates to subject-matter contained in and claims priority to JP 2003-197190, filed on Jul. 15, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to an electrical junction box for an automobile vehicle, and more particularly relates to an electrical junction box for an automobile vehicle having a casing a sidewall of which can receive a connector hosing for lateral connection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In general, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a conventional electrical junction box  1  for an automobile vehicle has a casing including a lower casing member  2  and an upper casing member  3 . A circuit body  4  including single-core wires, bus bars, and the like is arranged in the casing. Terminals  5  are connected to the circuit body  4 . The terminals  5  extend into mounting sections  6  on the surface of the upper casing member  3 . Connector hoods  9   a ,  9   b  . . . are formed integrally on the mounting sections  6  to receive a socket  7  for a relay or a fuse and mating connectors  8   a ,  8   b. . . .    
     Because the connector hoods  9   a ,  9   b  . . . are provided on the surface of the upper casing member  3  in the above electrical junction box  1 , a great space is required in the thickness direction of the electrical junction box  1  in order to dispose in the vehicle the electrical junction box  1  including the mating connectors  8   a ,  8   b  . . . , which are coupled to the connector hoods  9   a ,  9   b  . . . , and electrical wires W that are inserted into the mating connectors  8   a ,  8   b  . . . . Consequently, if an arrangement space S is narrow in the vehicle, there may be a case where the mating connectors  8   a ,  8   b  . . . having a great size cannot be coupled to the connector hoods  9   a ,  9   b. . . .    
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , it is possible to dispose an electrical junction box in a narrow space in the vehicle by using an electrical junction box  1 ′ in which connector hood sections  9   a ′ and  9   b ′ are provided on sidewalls A of a lower casing member  2 ′ and an upper casing member  3 ′. See Japanese Patent Public Disclosure 2000-182682. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, because the connector hood sections  9   a ′ and  9   b ′ must be fixed on the predetermined positions in the above electrical junction box  1 ′ and the mating connectors must be coupled to the hood sections  9   a ′ and  9   b ′ in the predetermined lateral direction, it is necessary to prepare additional electrical junction boxes  1 ′ in which the positions of the connector hood sections  9   a ′ and  9   b ′ are changed in accordance with the respective arrangement conditions of the electrical junction boxes  1 ′. 
     For example, in the case where there is a difference between the specifications for right and left side steering wheels, it is necessary to prepare two kinds of electrical junction boxes  1 ′ in which the connector hood sections  9   a ′ and  9   b ′ are disposed on the sidewalls A symmetrically in the right and left direction. Consequently, it was impossible to share the electrical junction box  1 ′ having the same function with the different specifications. 
     In order to overcome the above problems, an object of various exemplary embodiments is to provide an electrical junction box in which the position of a connector housing for lateral connection to be provided on a sidewall of a casing can be changed. 
     In order to achieve the above object, various exemplary embodiments provide an electrical junction box comprising a casing provided in a sidewall thereof with an opening; a connector housing for lateral connection detachably secured to the opening, the lateral connector housing being adapted to receive a connector; and a closing lid adapted to be detachably secured to the opening in place of the lateral connector housing in the case where the connector is not coupled to the housing. 
     According to the above construction, it is possible to selectively attach either of the connector housing for lateral connection and the closing lid to the opening formed in the sidewall of the casing. Accordingly, it is possible to arrange the lateral connector housing on the optimum position for connection of the mating connector in compliance with the arrangement condition of the electrical junction box in the vehicle. Also, because the lateral connector housing is formed into a single element, the housing cannot be deformed by improper connection of the mating connector. 
     To be more specific, openings for receiving the lateral connector housing are provided symmetrically in the right and left sidewalls of the casing. Internal circuits are contained in the casing. Some internal circuits adjacent the openings are formed into symmetrically same configurations with respect to the right and left direction. The lateral connector housing is detachably secured to one of the openings to receive the connector in conjunction with the closing lid is detachably secured to the other of the openings. 
     Thus, where the lateral connector housing is required for different locations in, for example, vehicles with a right side steering wheel and a left side steering wheel, the body of the electrical junction box can be shared with vehicles having different specifications by changing the arrangement of the lateral connector housing and closing lid with respect to the right and left direction. 
     More specifically, the connector to be connected to the lateral connector housing has a greater height and a greater amount of projection from an outer surface of the casing. 
     Thus, even when the connector having a greater height and a greater amount of projection from the outer surface of the casing is coupled to the connector housing, it is possible to reduce the attachment space in the thickness direction of the electrical junction box, because the lateral connector housing provided on the sidewall of the casing can receive the tall connector. 
     The casing includes an upper casing member and a lower casing member. The opening extends into parts of the members. The opening is provided in a peripheral edge thereof with a groove. A sealing lip projects from the outer peripheral surface of the lateral connector housing to be fitted in the groove. 
     According to the above construction, when the upper casing member and lower casing member clamp the lateral connector housing in the vertical direction in conjunction with fitting the sealing lip into the grooves, the lateral connector housing can be fixed between the upper and lower casing members, thereby effecting dust-proof and waterproof functions around the opening. Also, when interconnecting the upper and lower casing members, it is possible to easily carry out an assembling work of the electrical junction box by mounting the lateral connector housing laterally on the tab extending into the housing before hand. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention, and taken with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and implementation of the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of an electrical junction box in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG. 2A  is a side elevation view of the electrical junction box, illustrating a position where an upper casing member is mounted on a lower casing member.  FIG. 2B  is a plan view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG.  2 A. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of main parts of the upper and lower casing members and a connector housing for lateral connection. 
         FIG. 4A  is a sectional view of a part of the electrical junction box at the side on which the connector housing for lateral connection is fixed.  FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of a part of the electrical junction box at the side on which a closing lid is fixed.  FIG. 4C  is a side elevation view of a part of the electrical junction box to which the closing lid is secured. 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the electrical junction box in which an arrangement of the connector housing for lateral connection and the closing lid is altered. 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of a conventional electrical junction box mounted on a vehicle. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional electrical junction box. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, exemplary embodiments of an electrical junction box will be described below. 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an electrical junction box  10 . The electrical junction box  10  includes a casing made of a synthetic resin material and having an upper casing member  11  and a lower casing member  12 , insulation plates  13  and  14  stacked between the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12 , and arrangement elements such as bus bars  15  and single-core wires  16 , insulation displacement terminals  17  to be connected to the single-core wires  16 . 
     Circuit bodies  16 A comprising the single-core wires  16  are arranged along given patterns in the lower casing member  12 . A number of insulation displacement terminals  17  are supported by terminal-holding sections  14   a  on a lower insulation plate  14 . When lower press-contact portions  17   a  of the insulation displacement terminals  17  press the single-core wires  16 , the wires  16  are connected to the terminals  17  at the predetermined positions, respectively. 
     Circuit bodies  15 A including the bus bars  15  are arranged in given patterns on the upper insulation plate  13 . An end of each bus bar  15  is bent up toward the upper casing member  11 . The distal end of the bus bar  15  is formed into a terminal portion  15   a  including an insulation displacement portion or a tab portion. 
     Relay-receiving sections  18 , fuse-receiving sections  19 , and connector-receiving sections  20  are juxtaposed on the top surface of the upper casing member  11 . The respective terminal portions  15   a  bent up from the insulation plate  13  and the terminal portions  17   b  including the insulation displacement portions or tab portions formed on the upper ends of the insulation displacement terminals  17  supported on the insulation plate  14  are contained in the respective relay-receiving sections  18 , fuse-receiving sections  19 , and connector-receiving sections  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the upper casing member  11  is fitted on the lower casing member  12  with a sidewall  21  of the member  11  contacting with an inner peripheral surface of a sidewall  22  of the member  12 . The members  11  and  12  are secured to each other by locking means. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , in addition to the connector-receiving sections  20  on the upper casing member  11 , a connector housing  23  for lateral connection is provided in the electrical junction box  10 . The lateral connector housing  23  extends perpendicularly to the sidewalls of the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the lateral connector housing  23  is separated from the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  and is made of a synthetic resin material. The housing  23  has a hood corresponding to an external configuration of a mating connector C (FIG.  4 A). The hood is open at the front side to form an inlet for the mating connector C and includes a partition  23   a  ( FIG. 4A ) at the rear side and a peripheral wall  23   d  extending from the partition  23   a  to the inlet. 
     The partition  23   a  is provided with a through-hole  23   c  ( FIG. 4A ) for guiding the tab  15   b  of the bus bar  15  into the interior of the lateral connector housing  23 . The lateral connector housing  23  is provided on the substantially central part of the outer peripheral surface  23   d  with a flange-like sealing lip  23   b  that extends outward from the whole outer peripheral surface  23   d.    
     The upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  are provided at the corresponding positions of the right and left sidewalls  21  and  22  with openings  24   a  and  24   b  so that the openings  24   a  and  24   b  extend into the sidewalls  21  and  22 . The openings  24   a  and  24   b  are adapted to clamp the outer peripheral surface  23   d  of the connector housing  23  for lateral connection in the vertical direction. Each of the openings  24   a  and  24   b  is provided on each peripheral edge with a pair of ribs  25   a  and a pair of ribs  25   b  that can laterally engage the sealing lip  23   b  that extends outward from the lateral connector housing  23 . 
     When the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  are interconnected, the sealing lip  23   b  of the lateral connector housing  23  is fitted in grooves  26   a  and  26   b  defined between the pair of ribs  25   a  and the pair of ribs  25   b  so that the lateral connector housing  23  can be detachably secured between the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12 . When the lateral connector housing  23  is secured to the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , the whole front outer peripheral surface is clamped by the inner surfaces of the openings  24   a  and  24   b  in the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  in conjunction with the distal end of the housing  23  extends slightly outward from the sidewalls  21  and  22  in a direction perpendicular to the sidewalls  21  and  22 . 
     The connector housing  23  for lateral connection will have advantages under the condition: when a mating connector C to be connected is fitted to the top surface of the upper casing member  11 ; when a size in height of the electrical junction box  10  including a height for bending the electrical wires becomes great and the electrical junction box  10  cannot be contained in a given space in the thickness direction of the box; or when the connector to be connected must be received near the sidewalls  21  and  22 . 
     In particular, the lateral connector housing  23  has a further advantage under the condition when the connector to be connected has a great height and a great amount of projection outward from the casing upon engagement. In the present embodiment, the lateral connector housing  23  is disposed in the sidewalls  21  and  22  of the upper and lower members  11  and  12  to contain the tall connector C. 
     In this embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 4B and 4C , a cap-like closing lid  27  is detachably attached to the openings  24   a  and  24   b  to cover them in place of the lateral connector housing  23 , in the case where the connector C is not received in the openings  24   a  and  24   b . The closing lid  27 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , is separated from the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  and is made of a synthetic resin material. 
     The closing lid  27  has a barrel  27   a  with an outer size corresponding to an inner size of the integrated openings  24   a  and  24   b  when the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  are interconnected. The barrel  27   a  is provided on the rear end of the outer peripheral surface with a lip  27   b  to be fitted in the grooves  26   a  and  26   b  in the same manner as the sealing lip  23   b  of the lateral connector housing  23 . The barrel  27   a  is closed at the front end. When the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  are interconnected, the lip  27   a  is fitted in the grooves  26   a  and  26   b  defined between the ribs  25   a  and  25   b , thereby detachably securing the lid  27  to the openings  24   a  and  24   b.    
     The circuit bodies  15 A adjacent the openings  24   a  and  24   b  in the sidewalls  21  and  22  are formed into the symmetrical same configurations in the right and left direction. Tabs  15   b  of the circuit bodies  15 A are disposed symmetrically to be connected to the mating connector C. Thus, even if the lateral connector hosing  23  is attached to the openings  24   a  and  24   b  at either right or left side, the mating connector C can be connected to the same circuit. When the lateral connector housing  23  is secured to the openings  24   a  and  24   b  at either right or left side, the tab  15   b  can be inserted through the through-hole  23   c  into the interior of the lateral connector housing  23 . 
     Next, an operational of the electrical junction box  10  constructed above will be explained below. 
     Firstly, as shown in  FIG. 1 , internal mounting elements such as the insulation plates  13  and  14 , bus bars  15 , single-core wires  16 , and insulation displacement terminals  17  are disposed in the lower casing member  12 . Secondly, the lateral connector housing  23  is disposed on the left side (in  FIG. 1 ) of the sidewalls  21  and  22  in conjunction with the closing lid  27  is disposed on the right side (in FIG.  1 ). 
     At this time, the tab  15   b  that is opposed to the openings  24   a  and  24   b  is inserted into the through-hole  23   c  in the lateral connector housing  23  and the sealing lip  23   b  of the lateral connector housing  23  is fitted in the groove  26   b , thereby positioning the lateral connector housing  23  in the lower casing member  12 . Similarly, the closing lid  27  is positioned at the opposing side in the lower casing member  12  by inserting the lip  27   b  of the closing lid  27  into the groove  26   b . Thirdly, when the upper casing member  11  is mounted on the lower casing member  12 , the sealing lip  23   b  of the lateral connector housing  23  and the lip  27   b  of the closing lid  27  are inserted into the grooves  26   a  in the upper casing member  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , the connector housing  23  for lateral connection is secured between the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  by the inner surfaces of the ribs  25   a ,  25   b  and the openings  24   a  and  24   b . The tab  15   b  extends in a cantilever manner in the interior of the lateral connector housing  23 . On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the closing lid  27  is also secured to the openings  24   a  and  24   b  by the inner surfaces of the ribs  25   a ,  25   b  and the openings  24   a  and  24   b . The closing lid  27  closes the inlet of the openings  24   a  and  24   b  (FIG.  4 C). 
     Thus, the electrical junction box  10  mounts the lateral connector housing  23  on the one side of the box and mounts the closing lid  27  on the other side of the box in symmetry with each other (FIG.  2 A). Upon attachment of the electrical junction box  10 , leg portions  12   a  and  12   b  projecting from the opposing sides of the lower casing member  12  serve to secure the electrical junction box  10  to the given position of a vehicle. A mating connector (not shown) is mounted on the connector-receiving section  20  disposed on the top surface of the upper casing member  11 . Also, the mating connector C is laterally engaged with the lateral connector housing  23  to be connected to the tab  15   b.    
     In the above embodiment of the electrical junction box  10 , the openings  24   a  and  24   b  are provided in the right and left sidewalls of the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12  so that either of the lateral connector housing  23  and closing lid  27  is selectively attached to either of the right and left openings  24   a  and  24   b . Accordingly, as shown in  FIG. 5 , it is possible to fix the lateral connector housing  23  on the right side and to fix the closing lid  27  on the left side on the contrary of the arrangement of the above embodiment shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Therefore, in the case where the attachment positions of the lateral connector housing  23  are different on the basis of specifications for right left side steering wheels, it is possible to share the electrical junction box  10  with the specifications only by changing the attachment position of the lateral connector housing  23 . 
     Although the grooves  26   a  and  26   b  are provided in the inner part from the sidewalls  21  and  22  in the above embodiment, the grooves  26   a  and  26   b  may be provided in the inner peripheral edges of the openings  24   a  and  24   b  in the sidewalls  21  and  22  to receive the sealing lip  23   b  of the lateral connector housing  23 . The grooves  26   a  and  26   b  may be formed in the sidewalls  21  and  22  or openings  24   a  and  24   b.    
     Also, although the closing lid  27  in the above embodiment is formed into a cap-like configuration, the lid  27  may be formed into a plate-like configuration with a lip  27   b  on a peripheral end thereof. The closing lid  27  may be formed into any configuration so long as the lid  27  can close the openings  24   a  and  24   b . Furthermore, although the openings  24   a  and  24   b  are arranged symmetrically on two right and left positions in the above embodiment, they may be provided on any two positions of the sidewalls of the upper and lower casing members  11  and  12 . 
     It will be apparent from the foregoing that according to various exemplary embodiments, because the connector housing for lateral connection is provided on the sidewall of the casing, it is possible to reduce the attachment space in the thickness direction of the electrical junction box by utilizing the lateral connector housing. Because the lateral connector housing is detachably secured to the opening in the sidewall of the casing, it is not necessary to prepare many kinds of electrical junction box having different locations of the lateral connector housings by means of change of the arrangement of the lateral connector housing, thereby sharing the electrical junction box. Also, because the closing lid can be mounted on the opening that does not receive the lateral connector housing, it is possible to carry out dust-proof and waterproof around the opening. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to particular means, materials and exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particulars disclosed and extends to all equivalents within the scope of the claims. It is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications, and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the invention.