GB2123626A

GB2123626A - Fuse box assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2123626A
Application number: GB08318153A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Antony Booth; John William Pennington
Original assignee: Lucas Industries Ltd
Current assignee: ZF International UK Ltd
Priority date: 1982-07-06
Filing date: 1983-07-05
Publication date: 1984-02-01
Also published as: GB2123626B; GB8318153D0

Abstract

A fuse box assembly wherein terminals 5 (or rigid connector elements engageable therewith) are rigidly supported on one surface of a rigid electrically insulating board 4 on whose other surface is provided at least one multi-way connector 15 for connection to at least one cooperating connector, and a conductor pattern 10 is provided on the board 4 to interconnect the terminals 5 (or the rigid connector elements) and connector elements 16 of the multiway connector 15. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fuse box assembly This invention relates to a fuse box assembly particularly but not exclusively for a motor vehicle.

Fuse box assemblies are known in which a multiplicity of electrical terminals are arranged in pairs in a housing, each pair of terminals being arranged to be electrically interconnected by a respective circuit-protecting fuse which is detachably engaged with the terminals. the terminals are crimped or otherwise secured to respective electrical wires which extend from the rear of the housing to be connected via one or more separate multi-way electrical connector plug and socket arrangements into circuits to be protected by the fuses. Such an arrangement is relatively unwieldy and difficult to assemble in view of the large amount of wiring leading into the relatively confined spaced of the housing.

An object of the invention is to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the invention, terminals or rigid connector elements engageable therewith are rigidly supported on one surface of a rigid electrically insulating board on whose other surface is provided at least one multi-way connector for connection to at least one cooperating connector, and a conductor pattern is provided on the board to interconnect the terminals or the rigid connector elements and connector elements of the multiway connector.

With such an arrangement the terminals or rigid connector elements can be relatively easily assembled on the board before the latter is engaged with the fuse box housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the board also carries electrical circuitry of a fuse failure indicator having a warning light or other indicator means to warn of fuse failure.

The accompanying drawing is an exploded schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle fuse box assembly incorporating the present invention.

In the drawing, the fuse box assembly has a moulded synthetic resin housing 1 of rectangular form open at the front and rear and divided into fourteen compartments by walls 2 moulded integrally with the housing 1. A rigid, electrically insulating board 4 is engaged in the rear of the housing 1 so as to close the latter. The board 3 is secured by permanent or temporary fixing means e.g. rivets, clips, screws or snap-engageable parts (not shown). On its inner surface, i.e. that surface which is presented to the housing 1, the board 4 carries two rows of spaced terminal clips 5 (only five shown), each of the type adapted to receive detachably one blade-type terminal 6 of a respective fuse 7.In this embodiment, each terminal clip 5 is secured to a rigid copper link 8 which is soldered to the board 4 so as to be in electrical connection with a respective printed conductor pattern 10 on the outersurface of the board 4. The terminal clips 5 are thereby rigidly supported on the board 4 so as to project therefrom. The terminal clips 5 are so spaced apart that they extend one into each compartment of the housing 1 and are held therein so that the board 4 is spaced from the walls 2. Also disposed in each compartment of the housing 1 is a respective feed terminal clip 11 (only four shown) providing a common electrical feed to each row of seven compartments.The common feed is effected by leaving each row of seven terminal clips 11 attached to carrier strip 12 which exists after the clips 11 have been formed from a blank strip. The clips of this type are normally detached from the carrier strip just before fitting, the strip then being discarded. Feed wires 13 are crimped to the four clips 11 at the ends of the rows. The clips 11 are trapped in position in the respective compartments by suitable formations in the latter so that each terminal clip 11 is spaced from the terminal clip 5 in the same compartment by a distance corresponding to the separation of the fuse terminals 6. Recesses 14 at opposite ends of the board 4 enable the wires 13 to be connected with a suitable electrical supply.The other terminal 6 of each fuse is detachably engageable with a respective one of the terminal clips 11.

On the outer surface of the board are provided a pair of nine-way electrical connectors 15. Eight pins 1 6 in one connector 15 and six pins 16 in the other connector 1 5 are connected with respective ones of the conductor patterns 1 0. Each nine-way connector 1 5 is of the type which is engageable with a complementary nine-way connector (not shown) in the manner of a plug-and-socket connection. The complementary connector is connected in a manner known per se into the wiring harness of the motor vehicle. The connector pins 1 6 which are not electrically connected with the conductor patterns 10 are electrically connected to circuitry (not shown) for providing a warning of fuse failure.Electrical components of the warning circuitry are mounted in the inner surface of the board 4 to engage in holes 1 7 therein. The fuse failure indicator may be of the type described in our copending British Patent Application No. 8302799 which causes a light-emitting diode placed in a prominent position in the motor vehicle to become illuminated if any one or more of the fuses blows or becomes detached from either or both of its respective clips 5 and 11.

The above described fuse box assembly is relatively easy to assemble and can be readily demounted from the vehicle for repiacement or servicing purposes.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the terminal clips are separately mounted in the compartments and retained therein by virtue of formations provided in each compartment. The rigid electrically insulating board has rigid connector elements, e.g. pins, rigidly secured thereto so as to extend from the inner surface of the board. These rigid connector elements engage with complementary connector elements e.g.

sockets, formed on the rear of the terminal clips when the board is engaged with the fuse box housing.

Claims

1. A fuse box assembly comprising terminals, or rigid connector elements engageable with said terminals, rigidly supported on one surface of a rigid electrically insulating board on whose other surface is provided at least one multi-way connector for connection to at least one cooperating connector, and a conductor pattern provided on the board to interconnect said terminals, or the rigid connector element, and connector elements of said multi-way connector.

2. A fuse box assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said board also carries electrical circuitry of a fuse failure indicator having a warning light or other indicator means to warn of fuse failure.

3. A fuse box assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.