Power distribution box and method for producing same
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorPeter Kowtun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power distribution box and a method for producing a PDB include molding a lower cover with an integrated protector plate such that a unitary structure is formed. A busbar is inserted into a bottom side of a frame, and a lower cover is attached to the frame from the bottom side, thereby capturing the busbar between the frame and the lower cover. Integrating the protector plate into the lower cover eliminates a molding process, an assembly process, and adds structural integrity to the lower cover without the addition of extra structural support members, thereby reducing material use and the weight of the assembled device.
Claims18
A power distribution box (PDB) having a bottom-up construction, the PDB comprising:
- a frame including a top side, a bottom side, and a plurality of frame apertures disposed therethrough;
- a busbar connectable to the bottom side of the frame and having a plurality of busbar terminals extending upwardly for insertion into corresponding apertures in the frame;
- and
- a lower cover with an integrated protector plate forming a unitary structure, the lower cover being connectable to the frame from the bottom side of the frame and including a plurality of cover apertures therethrough for receiving wires to be inserted into corresponding frame apertures, the integrated protector plate having a plurality of wire protecting features for inhibiting contact between the busbar and wires disposed through the lower cover and retained by the frame, wherein the lower cover includes a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the cover apertures sufficiently such that wires inserted through the cover apertures can be bundled within the walls, the lower cover further including a wire takeout extending outwardly from one of the walls and configured to allow the wires to exit the lower cover through the wire takeout after the wires are bundled.
A power distribution box (PDB) having a bottom-up construction, the PDB comprising:
- a frame including a top side, a bottom side, a plurality of frame apertures disposed therethrough, and a plurality of wire retaining features, each of the wire retaining features being configured to retain a corresponding wire inserted from the bottom side of the frame;
- a busbar disposed on the bottom side of the frame and having a plurality of busbar terminals extending upwardly through corresponding frame apertures;
- and
- a lower cover disposed on the bottom side of the frame and including a plurality of cover apertures therethrough for receiving wires to be retained by the frame, the lower cover further including an integrally molded protector plate having a plurality of wire protecting features for inhibiting contact between the busbar and wires disposed through the lower cover and retained by the frame.
A method for producing a power distribution box (PDB), comprising:
- molding a lower cover with an integrated protector plate such that the integrated protector plate is molded into a second portion of the lower cover and a plurality of support structures are molded into a first portion of the lower cover;
- inserting a busbar into a frame from a bottom side of the frame;
- and
- attaching the lower cover to the frame from the bottom side of the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.