Electronic unit for vehicle

• US 5,760,490 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Yanase, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganjian, Peter
• Application Number:
  US08/735,558
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1-10.8, 307/31, 307/38, 307/39, 307/40, 307/41, 307/42, 364/472, 364/493, 364/423.098, 364/423.099, 364/424.034, 364/424.045, 364/424.059, 180/287, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 235/382, 361/601, 361/622, 361/627, 361/641
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00

Abstract

An electronic unit for a vehicle includes a control section for carrying out predetermined control management by detection signals transmitted through signal lines installed in the vehicle, a drive section for carrying out predetermined power management by control signals for said predetermined control management, which are outputted from the control section, a power branch circuit for separating one power generated from the drive section into three or more systems of power lines, and harness connecting connectors connected to terminals of the power branch circuit. Since the electronic unit per se has a "branch connecting" function of the wire harnesses, it does not require an exclusive junction box, so that the harness circuits can be simplified.

Claims

1. An electronic unit for a vehicle, comprising:

a control section for executing a specific control management program and for outputting control signals in accordance with inputted detection signals transmitted through signal lines installed in said vehicle;

a drive section electrically connected to said control section for carrying out predetermined power management of electrical loads in the vehicle by receiving control signals outputted from said control section;

a power branch circuit for separating power generated by said drive section into three or more systems of power lines; and

harness connecting couplers connected to terminals of said power lines of said power branch circuit.

2. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a box connecting coupler for connection with a junction box, said box connecting coupler being connected with said drive section.

3. An electronic unit as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said harness connecting couplers are connected with wire harnesses through respective unit connecting couplers.

4. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of said wire harnesses includes a power line connected to an engine room lamp and one of said signal lines connected to a hood sensor for detecting an opening/closing operation of an engine hood of said vehicle.

5. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said predetermined power management is a fade out operation of said engine room lamp.

6. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of said wire harnesses includes a power line connected to a foot lamp and one of said signal lines connected to a front door switch for detecting an opening/closing condition of front doors of said vehicle.

7. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said predetermined power management is a fade out operation of said foot lamp.

8. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of said wire harnesses includes a power line connected to a rear door lamp and one of said signal lines connected to a rear door switch for detecting an opening/closing condition of rear doors of said vehicle.

9. An electronic unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said predetermined power management is a fade out operation of said rear door lamp.