1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector housing for mounting in a vehicle, e.g., a car (automobile). In particular, the invention concerns an electrical connector housing containing separate modules for connectors, fuses and relays, respectively.
2. Description of Background Information
Electrical devices such as relays, fuses and connectors for vehicles are typically placed inside an electrical connector housing, which is itself fitted within a vehicle. In the case of a bus bar-containing electrical connector housing, the above electrical devices are connected through connecting circuits composed of bus bars.
In such a housing, bus bars forming groups are layered between insulator materials to form a bus bar stack. The latter serves as connecting circuit elements for electrical devices. Typically, such a bus bar stack contains connecting circuits used indifferently for relays, fuses and connectors.
As all types of connecting circuits are formed into a single bus bar stack, another bus bar stack has to be prepared when a connecting circuit must be configured differently. Known bus bar stacks thus lack wide flexibility to adapt to different configurations.
Recent years have also witnessed an intensified search for smaller and lighter electrical connector housings for vehicle borne applications. However, the prior art single bus bar stack system has a handicap in this respect. Namely, miniaturization or lightening of the bus bar stack by changing wiring configurations or by reducing the number of layers has its limit, and a large improvement is difficult to achieve by these methods.
In the above context, the present invention aims at miniaturizing and lightening an electrical connector housing, and at widening its usability.
To this end, there is provided an electrical connector housing including a first shell carrying connector mounts, fuse mounts and relay mounts, and a second shell fitted to the first shell, the electrical connector housing containing at least a first bus bar stack formed by a lamination of at least one group of bus bars and layers of insulator material e.g., insulator sheets. The electrical connector housing of the present invention further includes a connector circuitry module formed of the first bus bar stack and including connector-connecting circuits wired into the connector mounts, a fuse circuitry module including fuse-connecting circuits wired into the fuse mounts, a relay circuitry module including relay-connecting circuits wired into the relay mounts; and the connector circuitry module further includes a flexible printed board containing conductor patterns.
Preferably, the first bus bar stack includes bus bar terminals projecting therefrom and arranged into the fuse mounts and the relay mounts, the first bus bar stack including an area where no bus bar terminal is formed, and the flexible printed board is arranged in the area.
The area may include that face of the first bus bar stack where no bus bar terminal is provided.
Preferably, the electrical connector housing contains a second bus bar stack formed by laminating at least one group of bus bars and layers of insulator material, and the fuse circuitry module is formed of the second bus bar stack.
Further, the first bus bar stack may include bus bar terminals projecting therefrom and arranged into the fuse mounts and the relay mounts, the first and second bus bar stacks including an area where no bus bar terminal is formed, and the flexible printed board is arranged in the area.
The area may include those faces of the first and second bus bar stacks where no bus bar terminal is provided.
Suitably, the electrical connector housing contains a third bus bar stack formed by laminating at least one group of bus bars and layers of insulator material, and the relay circuitry module is formed of the third bus bar stack.
Further, the first bus bar stack may include bus bar terminals projecting therefrom and arranged into the fuse mounts and the relay mounts, the first, second and third bus bar stacks including an area where no bus bar terminal is formed, and the flexible printed board is arranged in the area.
The area may include those faces of the first, second and third bus bar stacks where no bus bar terminal is provided.
Typically, the bus bars of the first, second and third bus bar stacks are electrically connected to one another by welding, and the flexible printed board and at least one of the first, second and third bus bar stacks are clamped by clips, so that the conductor patterns of the flexible printed board and the bus bars of the first, second and third bus bar stacks are electrically connected.
Preferably, the fuse circuitry module further includes a flexible printed board containing conductor patterns.
Preferably yet, the relay circuitry module further includes a flexible printed board containing conductor patterns.
As can be understood from the forgoing, according to a first embodiment of the invention, the connector-connecting circuits, fuse-connecting circuits and relay-connecting circuits are respectively formed as separate modules. When only one type of connecting circuit is re-configured, only the circuit module concerned needs to be changed. In addition, at least part of the connector circuitry module is formed of a flexible printed board, so that this module becomes smaller and lighter. Consequently, the electrical connector housing made of this module can also be made smaller and lighter. The thus-obtained electrical connector housing acquires a wider usability.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, the flexible printed board does not require a structure through which bus bar terminals are passed. Further, the wiring can be designed easily, in ways that the conductor patterns in the flexible printed board do not interfere with the bus bar terminals. The structure of the flexible printed board can thus be simplified, its design and production becoming easier. Likewise, the flexible printed board can be kept as small as possible.
The structure of the flexible printed board can thus be simplified, and its design and production become easier.
According to a third embodiment of the invention, different circuit modules can be connected electrically in a more secured way. Further, the conductor patterns of the flexible printed board and the bus bars in the bus bar stack are connected through connecting clips. The connections therebetween are thus easy and sure. As a result, the conductor patterns of the flexible printed board and the bus bars in the bus bar stacks are connected in an easy and secure way.