Battery mounted junction box

• US 5,882,213 A
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
• Inventors: Witek, Joseph, Wooldridge, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/943,781
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 439/765, 439/76.2, 439/629, 439/949, 439/766, 439/754, 439/755, 439/763, 439/522
• US Class Current: 439/76.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/025 Structural association with a binding post of a storage battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/208 specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/567 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/287 Intermediate parts between battery post and cable end piece
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2466 using a planar conductive structure, e.g. printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A junction box has a housing mounted directly to a battery. The junction box includes a terminal that mounts to the post of the battery and secures the housing to the battery. Enclosed within the housing is a printed circuit board for receiving outputs from the terminal and distributing electrical power to a second set of outputs, which can communicate with a wiring harness for further distribution of the electrical power.

Claims

1. A battery mounted junction box comprising:

a terminal communicating with a plurality of electrical outputs and mountable to a post of a battery;

a printed circuit board, said printed circuit board electrically connected to a plurality of said plurality of electrical outputs;

a first housing enclosing said plurality of said electrical outputs, said circuit board, and at least a portion of said terminal; and

said terminal securing said first housing to a battery.

2. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 1, wherein said printed circuit board further includes a plurality of electrical outputs.

3. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 1, wherein said first housing includes a sealing lip and said terminal is received in a sealing boot.

4. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 1, wherein said first housing is supported on the battery.

5. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 1, further including a second housing having a housing cover and secured by said first housing adjacent to the battery, said second housing receiving at least one of said plurality of electrical outputs from said terminal.

6. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 1, wherein said terminal and said plurality of electrical outputs are formed as a single rigid part.

7. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 1 wherein said terminal further includes a plurality of sealing boots and said first housing further includes a sealing lip;

and

said plurality of sealing boots and said sealing lip sealing said first housing.

8. A battery comprising:

a battery having a post;

a terminal having a plurality of sealing boots, a plurality of electrical outputs, and mountable to said post, said terminal electrically connected to a printed circuit board;

a first housing enclosing said circuit board, a plurality of said electrical outputs and a portion of said terminal, said plurality of sealing boots sealing said first housing; and

said first housing having a substantially L-shape and contacting two adjacent sides of said battery, said first housing secured to said post by said terminal and supported on said battery.

9. A battery as recited in claim 8, wherein said terminal and said plurality of outputs are formed as a single rigid part.

10. A battery as recited in claim 9, wherein said terminal is substantially L-shaped, with said post being received on one leg of said L-shape, and said plurality of electrical outputs received on the other leg.

11. A battery mounted junction box comprising:

a battery having a post;

a terminal having a plurality of electrical outputs projecting from said terminal, and said terminal releasably mounted to said post;

a printed circuit board having a plurality of terminals, said terminals of said printed circuit board receiving a plurality of said electrical outputs of said terminal, said printed circuit board including electrical output terminals; and

a first housing enclosing said printed circuit board and at least a portion of said terminal, said first housing secured to said post and adjacent said battery by said terminal.

12. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 11, further including a second housing secured adjacent to said battery by one of said terminal or said first housing, said second housing receiving at least one of said plurality of electrical outputs from said terminal.

13. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 12, wherein said second housing further includes an electrical power regulation element connected to a power feed and to said at least one of said plurality of electrical outputs from said terminal.

14. A battery mounted junction box as recited in claim 11 wherein said terminal further includes a plurality of sealing boots, said plurality of sealing boots and said first housing sealingly enclosing said printed circuit board and at least a portion of said terminal.