Vehicle electrical center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616829-B2
Application number	US-201313942023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2013
Priority date	Jul 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

An electrical center for distributing electrical power to an electrical system of a vehicle is provided. A housing of the electrical center includes a shroud that protrudes outward from a sidewall of the housing. A fuse assembly which is configured to fit into the housing includes a tab that protrudes outward from the sidewall. A sleeve is configured to engage the shroud and the tab such that a receptacle for a connector of the electrical system is formed on the sidewall.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrical center for distributing electrical power to an electrical system of a vehicle, said electrical center comprising:
a housing configured to interconnect electrical components that distribute electrical power to the electrical system, wherein the housing includes a shroud that protrudes outward from a sidewall of the housing;
a fuse assembly configured to fit into the housing defining a tab that protrudes outward of the sidewall; and
a sleeve configured to engage the shroud and the tab such that the shroud is enclosed within the sleeve and the tab is external to the sleeve, thereby forming a receptacle suitable to couple a connector of the electrical system to the housing on the sidewall, wherein the tab defines a tab groove that is configured to engage a sleeve ridge defined on an outer surface of the sleeve.

2. The electrical center according to claim 1 , wherein the shroud is substantially perpendicular to the sidewall.

3. The electrical center according to claim 2 , wherein the tab is substantially parallel to the shroud.

4. The electrical center according to claim 2 , wherein the shroud and the sleeve define an inner surface of the receptacle configured to engage with an outer surface of the connector.

5. The electrical center according to claim 2 , wherein the sleeve includes a first wedge configured to lock the sleeve to the shroud and a second wedge configured to lock the sleeve to the tab.

6. The electrical center according to claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a reinforcement portion at the base of the shroud configured to increase the flex and tear resistance of the shroud.

7. The electrical center according to claim 2 , wherein the shroud includes a shroud ridge configured to engage with a sleeve groove of the sleeve.

8. The electrical center according to claim 2 , wherein the tab is substantially parallel to an axis of a fastener configured to attach a terminal of the electrical system to the fuse assembly.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Stern Eric J
• Mosby William J
• Borowicz Theodore J

Classifications

• B60R16/0238 Primary

  Electrical distribution centers · CPC title