随着配电网电缆化进程的发展，当容量不大的独立负荷分布较集中时，可使用电缆分支箱进(jin)行(xing)电缆多分支的连接，因为分支箱不能直接对每路(lu)进(jin)行(xing)操作。

电缆(lan)(lan)分(fen)(fen)支箱(xiang)仅作为电缆(lan)(lan)分(fen)(fen)支使用(yong)(yong)，电缆(lan)(lan)分(fen)(fen)支箱(xiang)的主要作用(yong)(yong)是将(jiang)电缆(lan)(lan)分(fen)(fen)接(jie)(jie)(jie)或转接(jie)(jie)(jie)，主要起电缆(lan)(lan)分(fen)(fen)接(jie)(jie)(jie)作用(yong)(yong)和电缆(lan)(lan)转接(jie)(jie)(jie)作用(yong)(yong)。

随着(zhe)配(pei)电(dian)网电(dian)缆(lan)化进程(cheng)的发展，当容量不大的独立负荷分(fen)布较集中时，可使(shi)用(yong)电(dian)缆(lan)分(fen)支(zhi)箱进行电(dian)缆(lan)多分(fen)支(zhi)的连(lian)接，因为分(fen)支(zhi)箱不能直(zhi)接对每路进行操作。

1）电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)分(fen)接(jie)作用(yong)(yong)。在(zai)一条距离比(bi)较长(zhang)的(de)线(xian)(xian)路上有多(duo)根小(xiao)面(mian)(mian)积(ji)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)往往会造成(cheng)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)使(shi)用(yong)(yong)浪(lang)费，于是在(zai)出线(xian)(xian)到用(yong)(yong)电(dian)(dian)(dian)负(fu)荷中，往往使(shi)用(yong)(yong)主干(gan)大电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)出线(xian)(xian)，然后在(zai)接(jie)近负(fu)荷的(de)时候，使(shi)用(yong)(yong)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)分(fen)支箱将主干(gan)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)分(fen)成(cheng)若干(gan)小(xiao)面(mian)(mian)积(ji)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)，由(you)小(xiao)面(mian)(mian)积(ji)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)(lan)(lan)(lan)接(jie)入负(fu)荷。这样(yang)的(de)接(jie)线(xian)(xian)方式广泛用(yong)(yong)于城(cheng)市电(dian)(dian)(dian)网中的(de)路灯等供电(dian)(dian)(dian)、小(xiao)用(yong)(yong)户供电(dian)(dian)(dian)。

2）电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)转(zhuan)接(jie)(jie)作用。在(zai)一条(tiao)比(bi)较长(zhang)的(de)(de)线路(lu)上(shang)，电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)的(de)(de)长(zhang)度无法(fa)满足线路(lu)的(de)(de)要求，那就(jiu)必须使用电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)接(jie)(jie)头或者电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)转(zhuan)接(jie)(jie)箱(xiang)(xiang)，通常短距离时候采(cai)用电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)中间接(jie)(jie)头，但线路(lu)比(bi)较长(zhang)的(de)(de)时候，根据经验在(zai)1000m以(yi)上(shang)的(de)(de)电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)线路(lu)上(shang)，如果电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)中间有多中间接(jie)(jie)头，为了(le)确(que)保安全，会在(zai)其中考虑电(dian)(dian)(dian)(dian)缆(lan)分支箱(xiang)(xiang)进(jin)行转(zhuan)接(jie)(jie)。

电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆分支箱(xiang)广泛用于户(hu)(hu)外(wai)(wai)(wai)，随着技术的(de)进(jin)步，现在带开(kai)关的(de)电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆分支箱(xiang)也(ye)(ye)不断增加，而(er)城市电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆往(wang)往(wang)都采用双回路供电(dian)(dian)(dian)方式(shi)，于是有人直接把(ba)带开(kai)关的(de)分支箱(xiang)称为户(hu)(hu)外(wai)(wai)(wai)环(huan)网柜，但目前(qian)这样(yang)的(de)环(huan)网柜大部分无(wu)法(fa)实(shi)现配网自(zi)动化，不过已经厂家推(tui)出可(ke)以配网自(zi)动化的(de)户(hu)(hu)外(wai)(wai)(wai)环(huan)网柜了(le)，这也(ye)(ye)使得电(dian)(dian)(dian)缆分支箱(xiang)和环(huan)网柜的(de)界(jie)限开(kai)始模糊了(le)