Intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch

• US 5,936,407 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Borland Product Development, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Borland Product Development, Inc.
• Inventors: Borland, Leslie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): REGAN, MAURA K
• Application Number:
  US08/885,170
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 324/539, 324/503, 324/504, 324/133, 324/66, 324/556, 324/542
• US Class Current: 324/504
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/54 Testing for continuity
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/69 of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances

Abstract

An intravehicular auto harness tester with switch consisting of a first housing unit mountable within or upon the dashboard of a motor vehicle containing three small light emitting diodes with wiring leading thereto and therefrom coupled with one resistor per diode, with such wiring entering the housing unit and leaving it by way of a coaxial cable leading to or from a second housing unit located typically in the trunk of the vehicle with three prongs and female socket pocket at a front end of the second housing unit for interfacing with an intravehicular auto harness power plug and with three female socket pockets and a prong at a rear end thereof for interfacing with a trailer harness plug and with wiring therein running from prongs to socket pockets and via junctions along such wiring also from the front end prongs to wiring in the coaxial cable leading to the diodes and a ground wire within the cable leading via an off/on switch from the diodes to the front end socket pocket of the second housing unit along with a ground wire within the second housing unit leading from the prong at the rear end thereof.

Claims

1. An intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch for testing the functioning of an auto harness from within a moving or non-moving motor vehicle, comprising:

a. a first housing component located upon a driver'"'"'s side portion of a dashboard of a motor vehicle with a first cable through hole in one side thereof with one end side thereof being closed and transparent;

b. coaxial cable carrying within it, a first wire, a second wire, a third wire and a fourth wire;

c. said coaxial cable connected to said first housing component at the locus of said first cable through hole;

d. a second housing component located in a trunk portion of said motor vehicle with three identical front male prongs affixed thereto and originating respectively from each of three through holes at a front side thereof and a front female socket pocket originating from said front side thereof, with three identical rear female socket pockets originating from a rear side thereof and a rear male prong affixed thereto and originating from a through hole in said rear side thereof and with a second cable through hole in one lateral side thereof;

e. said coaxial cable after passing through an interior region of said motor vehicle and then into said trunk portion of said motor vehicle being then and there connected to said second housing component at the locus of said second cable through hole;

f. a fifth wire leading from a metallic base of said front female socket pocket within said second housing component to an interior end of said rear male prong located within said second housing component;

g. a sixth wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a first one of said three identical front male prongs to a metallic base of a first one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

h. a seventh wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a second one of said three identical front male prongs to a metallic base of a second one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

i. an eighth wire leading from an interior end with said second housing component of a third one of said three identical male prongs to a metallic base of a third one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

j. a first junction whereat said first wire is connected to said sixth wire within said second housing component;

k. a second junction whereat said second wire is connected to said seventh wire within said second housing component;

l. a third junction whereat said third wire is connected to said eighth wire within said second housing component;

m. a fourth junction whereat said fourth wire is connected to said fifth wire within said second housing component;

n. said first wire being connected to a first resistor within said first housing component;

o. said second wire being connected to a second resistor within said first housing component;

p. said third wire being connected to a third resistor within said first housing component;

q. said first resistor being connected via a ninth wire to a first light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being closed and transparent;

r. said second resistor being connected via a tenth wire to a second light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to a said first housing component at said end side thereof being closed and transparent;

s. said third resister being connected via an eleventh wire to a third light emitting diode locate within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being closed and transparent;

t. each of said diodes being further connected respectively via a twelfth wire to a first end of an intravehicular off/on testing switch located upon said first housing component;

u. a second end of said intravehicular off/on testing switch being connected to said fourth wire;

v. said resistors being all characterized by resistivity of 1.0 kilohms, and;

w. said light emitting diodes being all characterized by optoelectric current carrying capacity of 10 milliamps.

5. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 1, whereby said resistors are characterized by resistivity within a range of 0.70 kilohms to 1.30 kilohms.

9. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 1 whereby said first diode is one color, said second diode is another color different from the color of said first diode and said third diode is a third color different from said color of said first diode and said another color of said second diode.

2. An intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch for testing the functioning of an auto harness from within a moving or non-moving vehicle, comprising:

a. a first housing component located upon a driver'"'"'s side portion of a dashbaord of a motor vehicle with a first cable through hole in one side thereof with one end side thereof being closed and transparent;

b. coaxial cable carrying within it, a first wire, a second wire, a third wire and a fourth wire;

c. said coaxial cable connected to said first housing component at the locus of said first cable through hole;

d. a second housing component located in a trunk portion of said motor vehicle with three identical front male prongs affixed thereto and originating respectively from each of three through holes at a front side thereof and a front female socket pocket originating from said front side thereof, with three identical rear female socket pockets originating from a rear side thereof and a rear male prong affixed thereto and originating from a through hole in said rear side thereof and with a second cable through hole in one lateral side thereof;

e. said coaxial cable after passing through an interior region of said motor vehicle and then into said trunk portion of said motor vehicle being then and there connected to said second housing component at the locus of said second cable through hole;

f. a fifth wire leading from a metallic base of said front female socket pocket within said second housing component to an interior end of said rear male prong located within said second housing component;

g. a sixth wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a first one of said three identical front male prongs to a metallic base of a first one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

h. a seventh wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a second one of said three identical front male prongs to a metallic base of a second one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

i. an eighth wire leading from an interior end with said second housing component of a third one of said three identical male prongs to a metallic base of a third one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

j. a first junction whereat said first wire is connected to said sixth wire within said second housing component;

k. a second junction whereat said second wire is connected to said seventh wire within said second housing component;

l. a third junction whereat said third wire is connected to said eighth wire within said second housing component;

m. a fourth junction whereat said fourth wire is connected to said fifth wire within said second housing component;

n. said first wire being connected to a first light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being closed and transparent;

o. said second wire being connected to a second light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being closed and transparent;

p. said third wire being connected to a third light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being closed and transparent;

q. said first light emitting diode being connected via a ninth wire to a first resistor within said first housing component;

r. said second light emitting diode being connected via a tenth wire to a second resistor within said first housing component;

s. said third light emitting diode being connected via an eleventh wire to a third resistor within said first housing component;

t. each of said resistors being connected via a twelfth wire to a first end of an intravehicular off/on testing switch located upon said first housing component;

u. a second end of said intravehicular off/on testing switch being connected to said fourth wire;

v. said resistors being all characterized by resistivity of 1.0 kilohms, and;

w. said light emitting diodes being all characterized by optoelectric current carrying capacity of 10 milliamps.

6. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 2, whereby said resistors are characterized by resistivity within a range of 0.70 kilohms to 1.30 kilohms.

10. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 2 whereby said first diode is one color, said second diode is another color different from the color of said first diode and said third diode is a third color different from said color of said first diode and said another color of said second diode.

3. An intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch for testing the functioning of an auto harness from within a moving or non-moving vehicle, comprising:

a. a first housing component located upon a driver'"'"'s side portion of a dashboard of a motor vehicle with a first cable through hole in one end side thereof with one end side thereof being open;

b. coaxial cable carrying within it, a first wire, a second wire, a third wire and a fourth wire;

c. said coaxial cable connected to said first housing component at the locus of said first cable through hole;

d. a second housing component located in a trunk portion of said motor vehicle with three identical front male prongs affixed thereto and originating respectively from each of three through holes at a front side thereof and a front female socket pocket originating from said front side thereof, with three identical rear female socket pockets originating from a rear side thereof and a rear male prong affixed thereto and originating from a through hole in said rear side thereof and with a second cable through hole in one lateral side thereof;

e. said coaxial cable after passing through an interior region of said motor vehicle and then into said trunk portion of said motor vehicle and being then and there connected to said second housing component at the locus of said second cable through hole;

f. a fifth wire leading from a metallic base of said front female socket pocket within said second housing component to an interior end of said rear male prong located within said second housing component;

g. a sixth wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a first one of said three identical front male prongs to a metallic base of a first one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

h. a seventh wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a second one of said three identical male prongs to a metallic base of a second one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

i. an eighth wire leading from an interior end with said second housing component of a third one of said three identical male prongs to a metallic base of a third one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

j. a first junction whereat said first wire is connected to said sixth wire within said second housing component;

k. a second junction whereat said second wire is connected to said seventh wire within said second housing component;

l. a third junction whereat said third wire is connected to said eighth wire within said second housing component;

m. a fourth junction whereat said fourth wire is connected to said fifth wire within said second housing component;

n. said first wire being connected to a first resistor within said first housing component;

o. said second wire being connected to a second resistor within said first housing component;

p. said third wire being connected to a third resistor within said first housing component;

q. said first resistor being connected via a ninth wire to a first light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being open;

r. said second resistor being connected via a tenth wire to a second light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to a said first housing component at said end side thereof being open;

s. said third resister being connected via an eleventh wire to a third light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being open;

t. each of said diodes being further connected respectively via a twelfth wire to a first end of an intravehicular off/on testing switch located upon said first housing component;

u. a second end of said intravehicular off/on testing switch being connected to said fourth wire;

v. said resistors being all characterized by resistivity of 1.0 kilohms, and;

w. said light emitting diodes being all characterized by optoelectric current carrying capacity of 10 milliamps.

7. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 3 whereby said resistors are characterized by resistivity within a range of 0.70 kilohms of 1.30 kilohms.

11. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 3 whereby said first diode is one color, said second diode is another color different from the color of said first diode and said third diode is a third color different from said color of said first diode and said another color of said second diode.

4. An intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch for testing the functioning of an auto harness from within a moving or non-moving motor vehicle, comprising:

a. a first housing component located upon a driver'"'"'s side portion of a dashboard of a motor vehicle with a first cable through hole in one end side thereof with one end side thereof being open;

b. coaxial cable carrying within it, a first wire, a second wire, a third wire and a fourth wire;

c. said coaxial cable connected to said first housing component at the locus of said first cable through hole;

d. a second housing component located in a trunk portion of said motor vehicle with three identical front male prongs affixed thereto and originating respectively from each of three through holes at a front side thereof and a front female socket pocket originating from said front side thereof, with three identical rear female socket pockets originating from a rear side thereof and a rear male prong affixed thereto and originating from a through hole in said rear side thereof and with a second cable through hole in one lateral side thereof;

e. said coaxial cable connected after passing through an interior region of said motor vehicle and into said trunk portion of said motor vehicle being then and there connected to said second housing component at the locus of said second cable through hole;

f. a fifth wire leading from a metallic base of said front female socket pocket within said second housing component to an interior end of said rear male prong located within said second housing component;

g. a sixth wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a first one of said three identical front male prongs to a metallic base of a first one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

h. a seventh wire leading from an interior end within said second housing component of a second one of said three identical male prongs to a metallic base of a second one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

i. an eighth wire leading from an interior end with said second housing component of a third one of said three identical male prongs to a metallic base of a third one of said identical rear female socket pockets;

j. a first junction whereat said first wire is connected to said sixth wire within said second housing component;

k. a second junction whereat said second wire is connected to said seventh wire within said second housing component;

l. a third junction whereat said third wire is connected to said eighth wire within said second housing component;

m. a fourth junction whereat said fourth wire is connected to said fifth wire within said second housing component;

n. said first wire being connected to a first light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being open;

o. said second wire being connected to a second light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being open;

p. said third wire being connected to a third light emitting diode located within and internally affixed to said first housing component at said end side thereof being open;

q. said first light emitting diode being connected via a ninth wire to a first resistor within said first housing component;

r. said second light emitting diode being connected via a tenth wire to a second resistor within said first housing component;

s. said third light emitting diode being connected via an eleventh wire to a third resistor within said first housing component;

t. each of said resistors being connected via a twelfth wire to a first end of an intravehicular off/on testing switch located upon said first housing component;

u. a second end of said intravehicular off/on testing switch being connected to said fourth wire;

v. said resistors being all characterized by resistivity of 1.0 kilohms, and;

w. said light emitting diodes being all characterized by optoelectric current carrying capacity of 10 milliamps.

8. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 4 whereby said resistors arc characterized by resistivity within a range of 0.70 kilohms to 1.30 kilohms.

12. The intravehicular auto harness integrity tester with switch of claim 4 whereby said first diode is one color, said second diode is another color different from the color of said first diode and said third diode is a third color different from said color of said first diode and said another color of said second diode.