Enclosures and mounting box for a trailer hitch electrical connector

• US 5,904,261 A
• Filed: 08/06/1996
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cequent Performance Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Draw-Tite, Incorporated (TriMas Corporation)
• Inventors: Rogers, David L., Belinky, Jacob S.
• Primary Examiner(s): POLLARD, STEVEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/692,509
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 220/3.2, 220/3.3, 220/3.9
• US Class Current: 220/3.9
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/58 Means for relieving strain on wire connection, e.g. cord grip , for avoiding loosening of connections between wires and terminals within a coupling device terminating a cable for flat or ribbon cables H01R12/771
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/083 Inlets

Abstract

A mounting box formed of polymeric material for mounting an electrical connector laterally to the cross tube of a trailer hitch with walls enclosing the body of the electrical connector receivable through a mounting wall opening with another opening receiving the cable of wires connected to the electrical connector. A pair of spaced apart slots formed in the mounting box through which an adjustable band clamp is received for encompassing the cross tube of the trailer hitch for rigidly securing the mounting box to the cross tube. Fastening holes are arranged about the first wall opening in a pattern that corresponds to different electrical connectors and different mounting positions of the electrical connector. A flap in the mounting wall permits the cable of a prewired electrical connector to be received within the mounting box.

Claims

1. A mounting box for mounting an electrical connector to a trailer hitch having a horizontally disposed cross tube which extends across the rear of a vehicle comprising:

an enclosure for enclosing the body of the electrical connector within said enclosure;

said enclosure provided with an open side disposed generally horizontally and sized and configured to conform with and matingly receive the outer surface of said horizontally disposed cross tube;

means for rigidly securing said mounting box to said horizontally disposed cross tube, said enclosure configured to completely encompass and enclose the body of said electrical connector by a combination of said enclosure and the outer surface of said horizontally disposed cross tube matingly received by said open side with said mounting box rigidly secured to said cross tube.

2. The mounting box of claim 1 provided with a first opening for receiving the body of said electrical connector and wherein said means for securing said box to said cross tube comprises slot means formed in said enclosure and an adjustable tension member extending through said slot means and about said cross tube.

3. The mounting box of claim 2 wherein said enclosure is provided with a second opening generally opposite and spaced from said first opening, said enclosure provided with a hinged flap in communication with said first opening for providing access to the interior of said mounting box for the wires connected to the electrical connector.

4. The mounting box of claim 1 including a plurality of fasteners and a plurality of fastener holes formed in said enclosure about the first opening, said fastener holes for receiving said fasteners to fasten said electrical connector to said mounting box.

5. The mounting box of claim 3 wherein said fastener holes are greater in number than the number of said fasteners and said fastener holes arranged about said first opening to facilitate fastening said electrical connector to said mounting box in any one of a plurality of different positions.

6. The mounting box of claim 1 wherein said enclosure is formed from a polymeric material.

7. A mounting box for mounting an electrical connector to a trailer hitch having a cross member which extends laterally across the rear of a vehicle comprising:

an enclosure provided with a first opening disposed generally horizontal and sized and configured to conform with and seat about the outer surface of said horizontally disposed cross tube, said enclosure provided with a second opening to receive the body of the electrical connector within said enclosure means, said enclosure also provided with a third opening to receive a plurality of wires extending from outside said enclosure to the connector received therein, and

means for rigidly securing said mounting box to said cross tube with said mounting box extending laterally with respect to said vehicle, said enclosure configured to completely enclose and encompass the body of said electrical connector by a combination of said enclosure and the outer surface of said generally horizontally disposed cross tube seated within said first opening.

8. The mounting box of claim 7 wherein said securing means comprises a pair of spaced apart slots formed in said enclosure means, and an adjustable band extending through said slots and about said cross tube.

9. The mounting box of claim 7 including a plurality of fasteners and a plurality of fastener holes formed about said second opening for receiving said plurality of fasteners to fasten said electrical connector to said mounting box.

10. The mounting box of claim 9 wherein said fastener holes are arranged about said second opening in a pattern which provides for fastening said electrical connector to said mounting box in any one of a plurality of different positions.

11. The mounting box of claim 9 wherein said fastener holes are arranged about said second opening in a pattern which provides for any one of a plurality of different electrical connectors to be fastened to said mounting box.

12. The mounting box of claim 7 wherein said enclosure includes a movable flap in communication with said second opening, said flap movable to an open position to provide access to the interior of the box for the wires extending to the electrical connector.

13. The mounting box of claim 12 wherein said enclosure is formed with a polymeric material.

14. A mounting box for enclosing and mounting an electrical connector to a trailer hitch having a cross tube member with a substantially rectangular cross section extending laterally across the rear of a vehicle comprising:

a first wall having an opening for receiving the body of the electrical connector;

a second wall disposed generally opposite said first wall and provided with an opening for receiving a plurality of wires connected to said electrical connector;

wall means for encompassing at least a substantial portion of the body of said electrical connector, said wall means extending between said first wall and said second wall;

means for rigidly securing said mounting box to said cross tube member;

said wall means together with said first wall and said second wall defining an open side of said mounting box, the open side having a configuration which conforms to the rectangular configuration of the cross tube for matingly receiving a plurality of sides of said rectangular cross tube for enclosing the body of said electrical connector by a combination of said open sided mounting box and said cross tube received within said open side of said mounting box with said mounting box rigidly secured to said cross tube member.

15. The mounting box of claim 14 wherein said means for securing said mounting box to said cross tube comprises at least one slot formed in said wall means and an adjustable band extending through said at least one slot and about said cross tube.

16. The mounting box of claim 14 including a plurality of fastener holes formed in said first wall for fastening said electrical connector to said mounting box.

17. The mounting box of claim 16 wherein said fastener holes are disposed about said opening in the first wall in a pattern which provides for fastening said electrical connector to said mounting box in any one of a plurality of different positions.

18. The mounting box of claim 17 wherein said fastener holes are arranged in a pattern that facilitates fastening any one of a plurality of different electrical connectors to said mounting box.

19. The mounting box of claim 14 wherein said first wall includes a wall flap provided access to the interior of said mounting box for the electrical wires connected to the electrical connector.

20. The mounting box of claim 14 molded from a polymeric material.