Interior trim panel and electrical harness apparatus for an automotive vehicle
AssigneeUT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
InventorsH. Winston Maue, Ronald K. Reich, Robert G. Morgan, Timothy S. Roddy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The preferred embodiment apparatus employs an interior trim panel and an electrical harness for use in an automotive vehicle. In one aspect of the present invention, the interior trim panel has a generally rigid substrate covered by an aesthetically pleasing covering material. In another aspect of the present invention, an electrical harness is provided with integrally created switch contacts and integrally created connector terminals.
Claims26
An apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising an elongated electrical harness having a first insulating polymeric portion and at least a second polymeric portion, said second polymeric portion defining multiple electrically conductive circuits, said circuits being at least partially separated by said first insulating polymeric portion.
An apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a rigid panel of said automotive vehicle;
- an actuating device having an internal component movable in response to an electromagnetic field;
- a switch device, at least one of said devices mounted to said panel;
- and
- an electrical harness mounted to said panel, said electrical harness having an insulating portion and conductive circuits, said circuits operably conducting electricity to said devices, at least one of said circuits integrally branching into multiple sub-circuits;
- said electrical harness having a thickness smaller than a transverse width, said electrical harness being substantially flexible in a first direction and comparatively rigid in a perpendicular second direction prior to mounting said electrical harness to said panel.
An apparatus for use in an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a substantially rigid panel of said automotive vehicle;
- a switch;
- an elongated electrical harness mounted to said panel, said electrical harness having a first polymeric insulating portion and conductive circuits formed at least in part by a second polymeric portion, said circuits operably conducting electricity to said switch, at least one of said circuits integrally branching into multiple sub-circuits;
- and
- contacts of said switch defined as sections of at least said second polymeric portion, said switch being integrally created as part of said electrical harness.
An elongated electrical harness for use in an automotive vehicle having at least two distinctly separated electrical switches and a power source, said electrical harness being made according to the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) molding a first material defining multiple electrical circuits;
- (b) over molding a second insulating material around portions of said first material;
- (c) applying an electrically conductive coating upon said circuits;
- and
- (d) conducting electricity from the power source to the distinctly separate electrical switches connected to said circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.