Vehicle fuse box fault indicator
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsPaul Kenneth Dellock, Pietro Buttolo, Stuart C. Salter, James J. Surman, Annette Lynn Huebner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle is disclosed for indicating when a fuse is blown in a vehicle fuse box. An example vehicle includes an electrical system, a fuse box comprising a door and an inner panel, covered in part with respective luminous materials and a plurality of fuses positioned inside the fuse box, coupled to the electrical system. Each fuse comprise an LED coupled between terminals of the fuse, and a lens configured to direct light from the LED toward the door and the inner panel.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- an electrical system;
- a fuse box comprising:
- a door and an inner panel, covered in part with respective luminous materials;
- and
- a plurality of fuses mounted on the inner panel and coupled to the electrical system, each fuse comprising:
- an LED coupled to the fuse;
- and
- a lens mounted on the LED, the lens configured to reflect light from the LED towards a portion of the inner panel surrounding the fuse, the lens comprising:
- an internal surface;
- and
- at least one reflector disposed on the internal surface, wherein the at least one reflector is configured to reflect the light to the portion, wherein the fuse extends along a first direction, wherein the at least one reflector extends beyond the fuse along a second direction crossing the first direction.
A vehicle fuse box comprising;
- a door made in part from a first luminous material;
- an inner panel made in part from a second luminous material;
- and
- a plurality of fuses mounted on the inner panel, each of the fuses comprising:
- an LED coupled between terminals of the fuse, configured to emit light when the fuse is tripped;
- and
- a lens mounted on the LED, the lens configured to reflect the light from the LED towards a portion of the inner panel surrounding the fuse, the lens comprising:
- an internal surface;
- and
- at least one reflector disposed on the internal surface, wherein the at least one reflector is configured to reflect the light to the portion, wherein the fuse extends along a first direction, wherein the at least one reflector extends beyond the fuse along a second direction crossing the first direction.
The vehicle fuse box of FIG. 13, wherein the first luminous material covering the door is a rylene dye configured to emit light while the LED is on, and wherein the second luminous material covering the inner panel is a phosphor configured to absorb LED light and emit light over a period of time after the LED is off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.