Programmable junction box

• US 4,689,718 A
• Filed: 04/04/1986
• Issued: 08/25/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation EEDS and Interiors Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc. (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Maue, H. Winston, Henderson, Brian E., Szudarek, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Application Number:
  US06/848,673
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 361/358, 361/359, 361/360, 361/361, 361/395, 361/399, 361/407, 174/68 B, 174/71 B, 339/156, 339/19
• US Class Current: 361/736
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/085 Short circuiting bus-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2458 Electrical interconnections between terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/026 Multiple connections subassemblies

Abstract

An automobile junction box (2), programmable in relation to vehicle options that may be required, houses printed circuit boards (24, 25) having receptacles (28) for receiving tabs (36) depending from an elongated member (34). The tabs connect the circuit pathways (26) corresponding to vehicle options. The selected circuit pathways may be modified by the inclusion of a second set of receptacles (29) on the printed circuit boards for receiving electrical components (14) such as diodes, resistors, zener diodes and the like.

Claims

1. A programmable automobile junction box characterized by:

printed circuit pathways within said box, said circuit pathways providing electrical connections for electrical harnessess attaching to said junction box,

a first set of receptacles electrically connected to said circuit pathways forming terminals thereon for joining selected configurations of said circuit pathways;

an elongated, electrically insulative member, and

a plurality of electrically conductive tabs directly connected to and depending from one side of said member arranged at selected locations thereon to mate with selected of said receptacles to electrically interconnect selected of said circuit pathways within said box.

2. The box of claim 1, wherein said circuit pathways are further characterized by:

a second set of receptacles electrically connected to said circuit pathways forming terminals thereon for receiving electrical components to modify electrical characteristics of said selected configurations of said circuit pathways.

3. The box of claim 2, said components being characterized as any of a group consisting of a resistor, diode or zener diode.

4. The box of claim 1, wherein said elongated member is further characterized by:

electrically conductive paths imprinted within said member for connecting selected tabs depending from said member.

5. The box of claim 1, wherein said member is further characterized by selected of said tabs being electrically interconnected.

6. The box of claim 5, wherein said tabs are further characterized as being electrically interconnected by electrical components.

7. The box of claim 6, wherein said circuit pathways are further characterized by:

a second set of receptacles electrically connected to said circuit pathways forming terminals thereon for receiving electrical components to modify electrical characteristics of said selected configurations of said circuit pathways.