Vehicle junction box having power distribution center with terminal for jump-starting vehicle
AssigneeSumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
InventorsCharles P. Depp, J. Patrick Dunbar, Jr., Bernadette Y. Palmer, John M. King, Joseph A. Mauney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A junction box assembly for a vehicle having a junction box, a positive conductive terminal, a bus bar and a conductive jump-start terminal that are coupled to a battery cable in a manner wherein high-current electrical energy does not flow though the junction box during a jump-start event. The jump-start terminal is configured with a blade portion that provides the user of the vehicle with a convenient point to which the positive lead of a jumper cable may be attached during jump-starting operations.
Claims19
An electrical junction box assembly comprising:
- a junction box having a lower case, a circuit board and a bus bar, the circuit board including a board member, which is constructed of an electrically insulating material, and a plurality of electrical contacts that are coupled to the board member, the bus bar being in electrical connection with the electrical contacts;
- a mounting aperture formed into one of the lower case and the board member;
- a conductive jump-start terminal having a mounting portion and a blade portion, the mounting portion being received into the mounting aperture such that the one of the lower case and the board member inhibits rotation of the jump-start terminal relative to the junction box, the blade portion having a pair of opposite faces that are generally parallel one another;
- and
- a conductive positive terminal adapted for electrical connection to a positive conductor of a battery cable, the conductive positive terminal being spaced apart from the blade portion of the jump-start terminal;
- wherein at least one of the positive conductor, the conductive positive terminal and the bus bar is in direct electrically conductive contact with the jump-start terminal such that the circuit board is not exposed to a high-current flow of electrical power during a jump-start event.
A vehicle electrical system comprising:
- a positive battery cable;
- a junction box defining a mounting aperture, the junction box having a bus bar;
- a conductive jump-start terminal disposed in the mounting aperture, the jump-start terminal including a blade portion that is configured to be gripped by a jaw of a jumper cable, the jump-start terminal defining a coupling aperture;
- and
- a conductive positive terminal having a head portion and a threaded portion, the head portion being disposed in the coupling aperture and matingly engaged to the jump-start terminal to prevent relative rotation therebetween, the threaded portion extending from the head portion and being configured to electrically couple the conductive positive terminal to the positive battery cable, the threaded portion being formed along a terminal axis;
- wherein the threaded portion of the conductive positive terminal extends through the bus bar and wherein
- at least one of the positive conductor, the conductive positive terminal, the bus bar and the positive battery cable is electrically coupled to the jump-start terminal to provide an electrical path between the positive battery cable and the jump-start terminal that does not direct a flow of high-current electrical energy through the junction box during a jump-start event.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.