Electricity: conductors and insulators – Covers or face plates – With closure for face plate opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-19
2001-01-09
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Covers or face plates
With closure for face plate opening
C174S050510, C220S242000, C361S641000, C439S144000, C439S718000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172302
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a harness cover for an electrical connection box such as a fuse box, a relay box or a junction box, particularly such a box installed in a vehicle, and also relates to an assembly of the electrical connection box, wire harnesses and the harness cover.
2. Description of Related Art
An electrical connection box may be used in a vehicle to accommodate various kinds of electric circuits and electronic parts and also to serve as a branch point or junction of wire harnesses and the like. Wire harnesses connected with the electrical connection box in a vehicle may include those at a cowl side (i.e., the interior side) and those at an engine room side. After the wire harnesses are connected with the electrical connection box, a harness cover covering the wire harnesses may be installed on the electrical connection box to protect the wire harnesses and prevent the wire harnesses from curving upward or in any other undesired directions. Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 7-9021, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes such a harness cover.
Generally, the manner of connecting the wire harnesses at the cowl side and those at the engine room side with the electrical connection box in a right-hand drive vehicle is different from the manner of connection with the electrical connection box in a left-hand drive vehicle. In right-hand drive vehicles, connection of all the wire harnesses with the electrical connection box is performed by a harness maker, whereas in left-hand drive vehicles, connection of some wire harnesses with the electrical connection box may be performed by a vehicle maker.
When the harness maker connects the wire harnesses with the electrical connection box, the harness cover is installed on the electrical connection box before delivering the box to the vehicle maker.
When the wire harness are partially connected with the electrical connection box by the vehicle maker, harness cover is installed on the box by the vehicle maker. Thus, the harness cover is delivered to the vehicle maker separately from the box. An operator on an assembly line of the vehicle maker connects the unconnected wire harnesses with the electrical connection box and classifies all the wire harnesses into those which should be accommodated in the harness cover and those which should not be accommodated therein before installing the harness cover on the electrical connection box.
However, when the electrical connection box and the unconnected wire harnesses are delivered to the vehicle maker, the packing causes the wire harnesses to curve in undesirable directions. It is not easy thereafter to change the curvature directions of the wire harnesses to the operator's intended direction. Further, it is difficult for the operator to connect the unconnected wire harnesses with the electrical connection box because those connected with the box interfere with the operation of connecting the unconnected wire harnesses with the box. Thus, it is very difficult for the operator to classify all the wire harnesses into those which should be accommodated in the harness cover and those which should not be accommodated therein and to install the harness cover on the box within a limited period of time. Moreover, the operator has to adopt an uncomfortable posture while performing the wire connection operation and the harness covering-installing operation along the assembly line which may cause the harness cover to be defectively engaged on the electric connection box or the harness cover to be damaged or broken.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to solve the above-described problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of a harness cover and an electric connection box. The harness cover may be installed on the electric connection box with high operational efficiency and operation quality.
According to the present invention, a harness cover of an electrical connection box may be provided for covering end connectors of a plurality of wire harnesses that are connected to the electrical connection box. A ceiling plate and a pair of mutually opposed plate-shaped leg portions extending from opposite side edges of the ceiling plate may be detachably connected to the electrical connection box. When the harness cover is mounted on the electrical connection box by the leg portions, the ceiling plate covers the end connectors of the harnesses and the leg portions form opposed barriers at opposite sides of the harness cover restricting the directions in which the wire harnesses lie.
According to the present invention, an assembly may be provided including an electrical connection box having wire harness end connector receiving elements on one side and wire harnesses having respective end connectors received in the wire harness end connector receiving elements. A harness cover may be mounted on the electrical connection box and have a ceiling plate which overlies and covers the end connectors of a first group of the wire harnesses while leaving the end connectors exposed of a second group of the wire harnesses.
The shape of the harness cover of the present invention may be adapted to provide the desired coverage of the end connectors of the harnesses on the electrical connection box. The plate-shaped leg portions at opposite sides can provide good guidance of the wire harnesses, and also good connection to the electrical connection box.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, which disclose preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4017137 (1977-04-01), Parks
patent: 5315062 (1994-05-01), Hoshino
patent: 5735713 (1998-04-01), Sugiura
patent: 5788530 (1998-08-01), Kasai
patent: 5817976 (1998-10-01), Yanase et al.
patent: 5998735 (1999-12-01), Patterson, Jr.
patent: 6010351 (2000-01-01), Kuboto
patent: 7-9021 (1995-02-01), None
Kincaid Kristine
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Patel Dhiru R.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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