# US 10,312,675 B2 · Electrical connection box and wire harness

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- Number: US 10,312,675 B2
- Document ID: US10312675B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/953,593
- Filed: 2018-04-16
- Published: 2018-10-25
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-25
- Assignees: Yazaki Corporation
- Applicants: Yazaki Corporation
- Inventors: Takaaki Kakimi; Tatsuhiko Ikeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312675B2

## CPC

- H02G 3/088: {Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets}
- B60R 16/0207: {Wire harnesses}
- B60R 16/0239: {Electronic boxes}
- H01B 7/0045: {Cable-harnesses}
- H02G 3/086: {Assembled boxes}
- H02G 3/083: {Inlets}
- H02G 3/14: Fastening of cover or lid to box
- H02G 3/18: providing line outlets
- H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})

## Abstract

An electrical connection box includes a housing, and at least one electronic component accommodated in the housing. The housing includes an accommodation chamber that accommodates the electronic component, a wire outlet that draws out a wire electrically connected to the electronic component from the housing, and a wire routing space that guides the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber to the wire outlet. A wall forming an outer wall of the housing includes a drain hole, or a through hole, which communicates the wire routing space and an outer side of the housing and which discharges liquid entering through the wire outlet to the outer side of the housing. The drain hole is formed in a first contact area of an inner wall surface of the wire routing space, toward which the liquid entering the wire routing space through the wire outlet heads first.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrical connection box comprising:
a housing; and
at least one electronic component accommodated in the housing, wherein
the housing includes
an accommodation chamber in which the electronic component is accommodated,
a wire outlet configured to draw out a wire electrically connected to the electronic component to an outside of the housing, and
a wire routing space configured to guide the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber to the wire outlet,
the housing includes a wall having an inner wall surface that defines the wire routing space and configured to form an outer wall of the housing, and the wall includes a drain hole which is a through hole configured to communicate the wire routing space and the outside of the housing and configured to discharge liquid that enters through the wire outlet toward the inner wall surface to the outside of the housing, and
the drain hole is formed in a first contact area of the inner wall surface toward which the liquid that enters the wire routing space through the wire outlet heads first.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein
the first contact area is formed with a plurality of drain holes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrical connection box according to claim 2, wherein
the wire outlet and the wire routing space are formed by a first wire routing unit and a second wire routing unit respectively included in a main housing and a sub-housing that are attached to each other,
the main housing includes the accommodation chamber disposed inside the main housing, the first wire routing unit disposed in an outer wall surface of the main housing, and a wire insertion hole configured to lead the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber to the first wire routing unit, and
the sub-housing includes the second wire routing unit configured to cover the first wire routing unit and the wire insertion hole, and the wall formed with the drain hole.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The electrical connection box according to claim 2 wherein
the wire outlet and the wire routing space are formed by a first wire routing unit and a second wire routing unit, respectively included in a main housing and a sub-housing that are attached to each other,
the main housing includes a work opening which is an opening connected to the wire insertion hole and configured to communicate the inside and the outside of the main housing and which is configured to guide the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber when inserting the wire into the wire insertion hole, and
the sub-housing includes a closing wall configured to close the work opening, and
a locking mechanism is provided between the main housing and the sub-housing, and is configured to make the closing wall hold to the main housing engageably, the locking mechanism includes a first engagement body provided on the main housing and a second engagement body provided on the closing wall, being engageably held by the first engagement body when assembling the main housing and the sub-housing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The electrical connection box according to claim 2, wherein
the inner wall surface having the drain hole includes a contact wall surface that comes into contact with liquid entering the drain hole through an opening in the drain hole disposed in a side close to the outside of the housing, and
the contact wall surface is formed into an inclined plane so that a normal line at a contact point of the liquid faces the opening.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electrical connection box according to claim 5 wherein
the main housing includes a work opening which is an opening connected to the wire insertion hole and configured to communicate the inside and the outside of the main housing and which is configured to guide the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber when inserting the wire into the wire insertion hole, and
the sub-housing includes a closing wall configured to close the work opening, and
a locking mechanism is provided between the main housing and the sub-housing, and is configured to make the closing wall hold to the main housing engageably,
the locking mechanism includes a first engagement body provided on the main housing and a second engagement body provided on the closing wall, being engageably held by the first engagement body when assembling the main housing and the sub-housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electrical connection box according to claim 6, wherein
the wire outlet and the wire routing space are formed by a first wire routing unit and a second wire routing unit, respectively included in a main housing and a sub-housing that are attached to each other,
the inner wall surface having the drain hole includes a contact wall surface that comes into contact with liquid entering the drain hole through an opening in the drain hole disposed in a side close to the outside of the housing, and
the contact wall surface is formed into an inclined plane so that a normal line at a contact point of the liquid faces the opening.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The electrical connection box according to claim 7, wherein
the wire outlet and the wire routing space are formed by a first wire routing unit and a second wire routing unit respectively included in a main housing and a sub-housing that are attached to each other,
the main housing includes the accommodation chamber disposed inside the main housing, the first wire routing unit disposed in an outer wall surface of the main housing, and a wire insertion hole configured to lead the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber to the first wire routing unit, and
the sub-housing includes the second wire routing unit configured to cover the first wire routing unit and the wire insertion hole, and the wall formed with the drain hole.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein
the wire outlet and the wire routing space are formed by a first wire routing unit and a second wire routing unit, respectively included in a main housing and a sub-housing that are attached to each other,
the main housing includes a work opening which is an opening connected to the wire insertion hole and configured to communicate the inside and the outside of the main housing and which is configured to guide the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber when inserting the wire into the wire insertion hole, and
the sub-housing includes a closing wall configured to close the work opening, and
a locking mechanism is provided between the main housing and the sub-housing, and is configured to make the closing wall hold to the main housing engageably,
the locking mechanism includes a first engagement body provided on the main housing and a second engagement body provided on the closing wall, being engageably held by the first engagement body when assembling the main housing and the sub-housing.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein
the wire outlet and the wire routing space are formed by a first wire routing unit and a second wire routing unit, respectively included in a main housing and a sub-housing that are attached to each other,
the main housing includes the accommodation chamber disposed inside the main housing, the first wire routing unit disposed in an outer wall surface of the main housing, and a wire insertion hole configured to lead the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber to the first wire routing unit, and
the sub-housing includes the second wire routing unit configured to cover the first wire routing unit and the wire insertion hole, and the wall formed with the drain hole.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The electrical connection box according to claim 10, wherein
the main housing includes a work opening which is an opening connected to the wire insertion hole and configured to communicate the inside and the outside of the main housing and which is configured to guide the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber when inserting the wire into the wire insertion hole, and
the sub-housing includes a closing wall configured to close the work opening, and
a locking mechanism is provided between the main housing and the sub-housing, and is configured to make the closing wall hold to the main housing engageably,
the locking mechanism includes a first engagement body provided on the main housing and a second engagement body provided on the closing wall, being engageably held by the first engagement body when assembling the main housing and the sub-housing.

### Claim 12

A wire harness comprising:
an electrical connection box provided with a housing configured to accommodate at least one electronic component; and
a wire that is electrically connected to the electronic component, wherein
the housing includes
an accommodation chamber in which the electronic component is accommodated,
a wire outlet configured to draw out the wire electrically connected to the electronic component from the housing; and
a wire routing space configured to guide the wire drawn out from the accommodation chamber to the wire outlet,
the housing includes a wall having an inner wall surface that defines the wire routing space and configured to form an outer wall of the housing, and the wall includes a drain hole which is a through hole configured to communicate the wire routing space and the outside of the housing and configured to discharge liquid that enters through the wire outlet toward the inner wall surface to the outside of the housing, and
the drain hole is formed in a first contact area of the inner wall surface toward which the liquid that enters the wire routing space through the wire outlet heads first.