Abstract:
An exemplary pass-through connector includes a connector housing a first end and a second end. A first amount of terminals extends from said first end to said second end. A supply line connects to a second amount of terminals. The supply line is located apart from the first end and the second end. The second amount of terminals is less than said first amount of terminals.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application relates to power sources. More specifically, this invention relates to providing a power source utilizing existing vehicular hardware without inhibiting the functionality of the vehicular hardware. 
     Vehicles include various features to aid with diagnosis for repair, testing, and evaluation. Standardizing features reduces the assortment of tools needed to perform a vehicle diagnostic test across multiple vehicle lines. One such standardized feature is the onboard diagnostic (OBD) port. A technician or vehicle operator can engage the port with a diagnostic device to obtain a variety of information about the vehicle. Standardizing the architecture of the port across various vehicle platforms enables a technician or vehicle operator to use similar diagnostic devices to evaluate multiple vehicles. Although standardized, various versions of the OBD port exist, each version representing a developmental iteration of the OBD standard port. The OBD-II port is one such iteration. 
     The OBD-II port includes multiple pins. At least one pin provides power from the vehicle, and at least one pin provides a ground from the vehicle. When not directly connected to a diagnostic device, such as when the vehicle is moving, the OBD-II port typically remains disconnected under the hood of the vehicle. Another common installation location for the OBD-II diagnostic port is in the vehicle cabin. Vehicular packaging constraints under the hood and in the vehicle cabin limit the size and geometry of OBD-II connectors capable of engaging the OBD-II port. 
     When engaged, the OBD-II connector may interfere with the driver or the front seat passenger. Reducing the size of the OBD-II connector may reduce the interference, but may limit the OBD-II connector functions. 
     In addition to increasingly demanding diagnostic capabilities, today&#39;s consumers and technicians increasingly rely on vehicles as a source of power for aftermarket devices. The IPAID device manufactured by Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. of Waterloo, Canada is one such aftermarket device requiring power. Further, to meet consumer demands, vehicle original equipment manufactures may augment existing vehicles with added power-requiring content, such as dealer installed equipment. Further, vehicle packaging constraints also limit incorporating power points and outlets within existing vehicle architectures. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An exemplary pass-through connector includes a connector housing a first end and a second end. A plurality of terminals extends from said first end to said second end. A supply line connects to a subset of the plurality of terminals. The supply line is located apart from the first end and the second end. 
     The supply line connects to the subset of the plurality of terminals through a supply line link. The position of the supply line and the supply line link relative to the connector orientation is reversible, and may be repositioned depending on the car architecture. The supply line may be protected from overcurrent with a polyswitch resettable device. 
     An exemplary method of providing power from a vehicle includes engaging a diagnostic port of a vehicle with a connector and providing a port within the connector for engaging a diagnostic device. Also, directing power from the connector through a supply line apart from the port and providing greater diagnostic capability from the port than from the supply line. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an example pass-through connector; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the example pass-through connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view through the example pass-through connector of  FIGS. 1 and 2  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  (or  2 ); 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of an example diagnostic terminal; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a removeable cap of the pass-through connector of  FIG. 1  with a reversible cap in a disengaged position; and 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a supply line connector moving to a reversed position in the pass-through connector of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example pass-through connector  10  for use with an onboard diagnostic (OBD) system, more specifically an OBD-II system. A first end  14  of the connector  10  is sized to directly connect the connector  10  to an OBD-II port  12  within a vehicle. The second end  18  of the connector  10  is sized to engage diagnostic equipment, such as diagnostic equipment used by a technician at a repair garage, which may alternatively connect directly to the OBD-II port  12 . The second end  18  thus provides complimentary connection to the first end  14 . 
     The connector  10  communicates information about the vehicle to the diagnostic equipment through various terminals  22  within the connector  10 . At least some of the terminals  22  communicate power and ground from the vehicle. In this example, a supply line  26  communicates power and ground away from the connector  10  to a powered and grounded device  28 . A supply line link  20  connects the supply line  26  to the connector  10 . A cover  24  engages the connector  10  adjacent the supply line link  20 , and includes an aperture  25  for receiving the first supply line link  20 . 
     The example connector  10  includes sixteen terminals  22 , as shown in the side view of  FIG. 2 . One of the terminals  22 , is a power terminal  22   a , which communicates power from the vehicle. That is, when the connector  10  engages the OBD-II port within the vehicle, the power terminal  22   a  communicates directly with a vehicular power source, such as a vehicle battery  32 . In other examples, terminal  22   a  could be a ground terminal or a data terminal. This example illustrates the supply line link  20  is a reverse orientation from the supply link shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     A device adapted to utilize power may directly connect to a power terminal  22   a  at the second end  18 ; however, doing so would interfere with connecting diagnostic equipment to the connector  10 . The supply line  26  routes power from the connector  10  without interfering with the connectivity to the pass-through connector  10 , which is in direct communication with the OBD-II port of the vehicle. Thus, diagnostic equipment may be connected and disconnected to the second end  18  without interrupting power routed via the supply line  26 . Example devices designed to utilize power from the OBD-II port include the IPAID system designed and marketed by Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. of Waterloo, Canada. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a housing  34  defines the general profile of the connector  10  and partially surrounds the terminal  22 , which is adapted to communicate diagnostic information, power, or ground, from the first end  14  of the connector  10  to the second end  18 . The terminal  22  includes a female terminal end  38  and a male terminal end  42 . In this example, a power terminal  22   a , a type of terminal  22 , communicates power from the first end  14  to the second end  18 . A wire  46  connects directly to the power terminal  22   a  and communicates power from the terminal  22  to the supply line  26  through the supply line link  20  ( FIG. 2 ). Male terminal end  42  also maintains power. An overcurrent protection portion, such as a fuse device  58 , prevents power overloads from communicating away from the connector  10 . In one example, the fuse device  58  is a resetable polyswitch fuse device. In a similar manner second wire  50  connects directly to a ground terminal (not shown) within the connector  10  and routes ground to the supply line  26 . In this example, the supply line  26  includes power and ground from the connector  10 . 
     Although generally described in terms of communicating power and ground away from the connector  10 , those skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure may recognize that information about the vehicle, such as diagnostic information, could similarly be communicated away from the connector  10  via the supply line  26 . For example, in addition to wires  46  and  50  respectively communicating power and ground from the connector  10 , a third wire may communicate emissions information from a terminal  22  within the connector  10 . Including a connection to this terminal  22  within the supply line  26  ( FIG. 2 ) enables devices to receive emissions data without substantially interfering with the connection to the second end  18  of the connector  10 . 
     Individually selecting the contents of the supply line  26  allows the supply line and associated connections to the terminal  22  within the connector  10  to be tailored for connecting to a specific device. As a result, superfluous connections can be eliminated, which reduces the size of the supply line  26 , and the size of the connector  10  needed to accommodate the associated connections of the supply line  26  to the terminal  22 . Thus, the connector  10  may be accommodated in environments with limited packaging space. Further, as the supply line  26  communicates with the OBD-II port  12  ( FIG. 1 ) of the vehicle, devices connected to the supply line  26  maintain an uninterrupted connection to the vehicle. As a result, provided the OBD-II port  12  maintains power, the supply line  26  maintains power. 
     An uninterrupted source of power and ground is especially useful with devices designed to monitor vehicular habits. That is, those devices requiring power sources when the vehicle is not running. Further, as the connector  10  incorporates features designed to reduce packaging requirements, the connector  10  is especially suited to provide power to devices having packaging constraints. 
     In another example, the connector  10  provides power to devices installed within confined areas of the vehicle, such as in the vehicle trunk and vehicle glove compartment. 
     The IPAID device may incorporate the connector  10  as a primary connection for power. For example, the supply line  26  may directly communicate power from the OBD-II port  12  through the connector  10  to the IPAID device. The IPAID device may include a removable memory device for extracting information about the vehicle, such as driving habits, etc. The uninterrupted power source from the connector  10  allows the IPAID device to perform operations, such as calculations, when the vehicle is not running. The packaging requirements for the connector  10  enable an operator to position the IPAID device under the hood of the vehicle in a position accessible to the driver, but without substantially obstructing the driver. 
     In some examples, the IPAID device cannot be installed under the hood. Environmental constraints may limit the installation locations of the IPAID device in this manner. In such an example, the IPAID device is typically installed in the trunk or the vehicle cabin. The supply line  26  provides enough length to install the IPAID, or another aftermarket powered device, in several areas of the vehicle other than underneath the hood. 
     The example connector  10  includes other improvements for reducing its overall packaging requirements. For example, in the terminal  22  of  FIG. 4 , the female end  38  and the male end  42  are directly connected, that is, the female end  38  and the male end  42  are crimped and soldered together. Joining the male end  42  and the female end  38  in this manner eliminates the need for wires to communicate power and diagnostic information from the female end  38  to the male end  42 . Instead, power and diagnostic information from the OBD-II port on the vehicle moves into the female end  38 , through to the male end  42 . As a result, the packaging requirements of the diagnostic terminal  22  are diminished as decreasing the length of the diagnostic terminal  22  enables the overall length of the connector  10  to be similarly shortened. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the top cover  24  may be removed to facilitate moving the supply line link  20  between opposing sides of the example connector  10 . The top cover  24  and an engagement portion  60  of the connector  10  include engagement features to hold the top cover  24  relative to the remaining portions of the connector  10 . The engagement features hold the top cover  24  in multiple positions permitting the supply line link  20  to engage the connector  10  from opposing sides through the aperture  25  in the top cover  24 . A person skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure would be able to develop suitable engagement features for holding the top cover  24 . 
     In this example, removing the top cover  24  permits moving the male connector portion  64  between opposing sides of the connector  10 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Ribs  70  extend from the male connector portion  64  and engage slots  72  within the housing  34 . Moving the male connector portion  64  to the opposing side of the connector  10  includes removing the ribs  70  from the slots  72  on one side of the connector  10 , and engaging the ribs  70  with the slots  72  on the opposing side. Securing the top cover  24  after moving the male connector portion  64  may further hold the male connector portion  64  in position. After securing the top cover  24 , the remaining portions of the supply line link  20  engage the male connector portion  64 . 
     Although illustrated as having the male connector portion  64  of the supply line link  20  ( FIG. 1 ) extending from the connector  10  to engage the female connector portion  65 , other examples may include a reversed arrangement having the female connector portion  65  extending from the connector  10 . 
     Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.