Electric connection box

Claim 2

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-griping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said external connection terminal has two said bus bar-gripping portions press-fitted relative to at least one of said bus bars, respectively.

Claim 3

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said base portion of said external connection terminal is of a generally U-shape having opposed arms, said bus bar-gripping portion comprising a pair of opposed holder sections formed on one of said opposed arm of said base portion, and said bus-bar being press-fitted in said pair of opposed holder sections.

Claim 4

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said base portion of said external connection terminal is of a generally U-shape having opposed arms, said bus bar-gripping portion comprising a pair of opposed holder sections formed on one of said opposed arm of said base portion, and said bus-bar being press-fitted in said pair of opposed holder sections.

Claim 5

In an electrical connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus-bar gripping portion, in which said base portion of said external connection terminal is of a generally U-shape having opposed arms, said bus bar-gripping portion comprising a pair of opposed holder sections formed on one of said opposed arm of said base portion, and said bus bar being press-fitted in said pair of opposed holder sections, and in which said external connection terminal has another bus bar-gripping portion comprising a pair of opposed holder sections formed on the other of said opposed arm of said base portion.

Claim 6

In an electrical connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus-bar gripping portion, in which said base portion of said external connection terminal is of a generally U-shape having opposed arms, said bus bar-gripping portion comprising a pair of opposed holder sections formed on one of said opposed arm of said base portion, and said bus bar being press-fitted in said pair of opposed holder sections, and in which said external connection terminal has another bus bar-gripping portion comprising a pair of opposed holder sections formed on the other of said opposed arm of said base portion.

Claim 7

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said base portion of said external connection terminal is of U-shape having opposed arms, said contact portions being formed on said opposed arms, and said external connection terminal having two said bus bar-gripping portions formed respectively on said opposed arms of said base portion.

Claim 8

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said base portion of said external connection terminal is of U-shape having opposed arms, said contact portions being formed on said opposed arms, and said external connection terminal having two said bus bar-gripping portions formed respectively on said opposed arms of said base portion.

Claim 9

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said external connection terminal has a flat elongated body bent longitudinally into a U-shape having a pair of opposed arms, said U-shaped body having a pair of opposed free end portions and a U-shaped portion at the other end thereof, said free end portions serving respectively as said contact portions, a central section of each of said opposed arms serving as said base portion, a slot being formed in said U-shaped end portion and extending from a point near one of said base portions to a point near the other base portion to bifurcate the U-shaped end portion, said bifurcated portion serving as said bus-bar gripping portion.

Claim 10

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said external connection terminal has a flat elongated body bent longitudinally into a U-shape having a pair of opposed arms, said U-shaped body having a pair of opposed free end portions and a U-shaped portion at the other end thereof, said free end portions serving respectively as said contact portions, a central section of each of said opposed arms serving as said base portion, a slot being formed in said U-shaped end portion and extending from a point near one of said base portions to a point near the other base portion to bifurcate the U-shaped end portion, said bifurcated portion serving as said bus-bar gripping portion.

Claim 11

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said housing has a plurality of holes formed through a wall thereof, said contact portions extending respectively through said holes into said housing, said housing having a groove formed in the wall thereof, and said base portion of said external connection terminal being press-fitted in said groove.

Claim 12

In an electric connection box of the type having a pair of upper and lower cases connected together to provide a casing, at least one of said upper and lower cases having an electrically insulating housing; a wiring assembly accommodated within said casing and including an electrically insulating plate and a plurality of bus bars mounted on said insulating plate; and external connection terminals electrically connected to said bus bars and having respective contact portions received within said insulating housing; the improvement comprising, each of said external connection terminals including a base portion fixed to said one case, a plurality of said contact portions formed on one lateral edge of said base portion and extending into said housing, and a bus bar-gripping portion formed on the other lateral edge of said base portion and press-fitted to a said bus bar, and wherein each bus bar includes a bent plate portion disposed substantially vertically for receiving said bus bar-gripping portion, in which said housing has a plurality of holes formed through a wall thereof, said contact portions extending respectively through said holes into said housing, said housing having a groove formed in the wall thereof, and said base portion of said external connection terminal being press-fitted in said groove.