Vehicle wire harness
First Claim
1. An electrical system for a vehicle that provides power and communications to vehicular devices, comprising:
- an electrical bus comprising a plurality of elongate wires;
a plurality of connector assemblies situated at different locations along said wires, each of said connector assemblies includinga splice housing defining an inlet for said wires and an outlet for said wires and said wires passing from said inlet to said outlet through said splice housing without being interrupted or terminated in said splice housing,at least one electrically conductive unit arranged in said splice housing, each of said at least one electrically conductive unit having a first portion in contact with a respective one of said wires and a second portion exposed to an exterior of said splice housing, anda connector attached to said splice housing and electrically connected to said second exposed portion of said at least one electrically conductive unit,a respective electrical conduit attached at one end region to each connector of said connector assemblies; and
a respective cluster control unit attached to an opposite end region of each of said electrical conduits, each of said cluster control units being electrically coupled to a plurality of the vehicular devices which are assigned unique identification codes,each cluster control unit including a microprocessor that determines whether signals on said bus are directed to one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit by recognizing an identification code including in the signals and assigned to one of the vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit, andsaid microprocessor only directing signals from said bus to one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit in which said microprocessor is included when said microprocessor determines that signals on said bus are directed to that one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit,whereby at least one of power and communications are provided to the vehicular devices by a power source and communications source connected to said bus.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electrical system for a vehicle that provides power and communications to vehicular devices includes a (singular) electrical bus having elongate wires, and connector assemblies situated at different locations along the wires. The connector assemblies include a splice housing defining an inlet and outlet for the wires, the wires passing from the inlet to the outlet through the splice housing without being interrupted, and a connector attached to the splice housing. An electrical conduit, such as one or more wires, is attached at one end region to each connector and at an opposite end region to a respective cluster or cluster control unit. Each cluster or cluster control unit is electrically coupled to at least one vehicular device. Power and communications are provided to the vehicular devices by a power source and communications source through the bus.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrical system for a vehicle that provides power and communications to vehicular devices, comprising:
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an electrical bus comprising a plurality of elongate wires; a plurality of connector assemblies situated at different locations along said wires, each of said connector assemblies including a splice housing defining an inlet for said wires and an outlet for said wires and said wires passing from said inlet to said outlet through said splice housing without being interrupted or terminated in said splice housing, at least one electrically conductive unit arranged in said splice housing, each of said at least one electrically conductive unit having a first portion in contact with a respective one of said wires and a second portion exposed to an exterior of said splice housing, and a connector attached to said splice housing and electrically connected to said second exposed portion of said at least one electrically conductive unit, a respective electrical conduit attached at one end region to each connector of said connector assemblies; and a respective cluster control unit attached to an opposite end region of each of said electrical conduits, each of said cluster control units being electrically coupled to a plurality of the vehicular devices which are assigned unique identification codes, each cluster control unit including a microprocessor that determines whether signals on said bus are directed to one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit by recognizing an identification code including in the signals and assigned to one of the vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit, and said microprocessor only directing signals from said bus to one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit in which said microprocessor is included when said microprocessor determines that signals on said bus are directed to that one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit, whereby at least one of power and communications are provided to the vehicular devices by a power source and communications source connected to said bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An electrical system for a vehicle that provides power and communications to vehicular devices, comprising:
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an electrical bus comprising a plurality of elongate wires; a plurality of connector assemblies situated at different locations along said wires, each of said connector assemblies including a splice housing defining an inlet for said wires and an outlet for said wires and said wires passing from said inlet to said outlet through said splice housing without being interrupted or terminated in said splice housing, at least one electrically conductive unit arranged in said splice housing, each of said at least one electrically conductive unit comprising at least one electrical receptacle defining an aperture that receives a mating electrical pin, said aperture being exposed to an exterior of said splice housing, and a connector removably attached to said splice housing and comprising at least one pin each received in a respective one of said at least one receptacle when said connector is attached to said splice housing, a respective electrical conduit attached at one end region to each connector of said connector assemblies; and a respective cluster control unit attached to an opposite end region of each of said electrical conduits, each of said cluster control units being electrically coupled to a plurality of the vehicular devices which are assigned unique identification codes, each cluster control unit including a microprocessor that determines whether signals on said bus are directed to one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit by recognizing an identification code included in the signals and assigned to one of the vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit, and said microprocessor only directing signals from said bus to one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit in which said microprocessor is included when said microprocessor determines that signals on said bus are directed to that one of the plurality of vehicular devices coupled to said cluster control unit, whereby at least one of power and communications are provided to the vehicular devices by a power source and communications source connected to said bus.
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Specification