Patent Publication Number: US-2022224095-A1

Title: Power distribution box with an engagement feature for overcoming a cantilevered force of a bend in a wire bundle

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a power distribution box. In particular, the disclosure relates to a power distribution box having an engagement feature for overcoming a cantilevered force of a wire bundle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Power distribution boxes  200  include an upper housing, a lower housing and a lower cover  202 . For illustrative purposes, the upper housing and the lower housing are not shown. The lower cover  202  includes a connector assembly pocket  204  which is configured to hold a connector assembly  206 . The connector assembly  206  includes a connector housing  208  and a dress cover  210 . The connector housing  208  includes a plurality of terminal slits  210  for receiving wire terminals (not shown). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , wire terminals are seated underneath a bottom surface of the connector housing  208  and include a plurality of wires which are bundled together so as to form a wire bundle  212 . The wire bundles  212  are then bent and directed along a wire routing path through an opening  214  of the lower cover  202 . The wire bundle  212  may then be subsequently routed to the underside of the lower cover  202  so as to form a bend at the opening  214  of the lower cover  202 . The bend is not shown in this illustration. This bend creates a cantilevered force which urges the connector assembly  206  upwardly and out of the connector assembly pocket  204 . Thus, the assembly worker must physically press the connector assembly  206  back into the connector assembly pocket  204  so as to properly position the lower cover  202  for further assembly processes, such as the attachment of the upper housing and the lower housing. 
     Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a connector assembly pocket which is configured to overcome the cantilevered force generated by a bend in the wire, so as to retain the power distribution box in a position acceptable for further assembly processes. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect a power distribution box is provided. The power distribution box is configured to accommodate a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a connector housing, a dress cover, a wire bundle and a lower cover. The wire bundle is routed through the dress cover and an opening of the lower cover. 
     The lower cover further includes a connector assembly pocket. The connector assembly pocket is configured to hold the connector assembly. The connector assembly pocket includes an engagement feature. The engagement feature is spaced apart from and opposite of the opening. The engagement feature is configured to engage the dress cover so as to retain the connector assembly within the connector assembly pocket. 
     In one aspect, the engagement feature is a finger. 
     In one aspect, the lower cover includes an outer wall that bounds a floor. The connector assembly pocket is disposed on the floor and bound by the outer wall. 
     In another aspect, the connector assembly pocket includes a pair of inner sidewalls, a front wall, and a back wall. The engagement feature is mounted to a top edge of the back wall. In such an aspect, the engagement feature may be a finger. 
     In another aspect, the finger includes a planar member and a rib. The rib is disposed on a top edge of the planar member. 
     In another aspect, the rib includes catch portion and a ramp portion. The catch portion has a planar surface that is orthogonal to the planar member. 
     Also disclosed herein is a power distribution box assembly. The power distribution box assembly is configured to accommodate a wire bundle. In particular, the wire bundle extends along a wire routing path which includes a bend. The power distribution box assembly includes a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a connector housing and a dress cover. The dress cover is coupled to a bottom surface of the connector housing. The dress cover includes a support wall. The power distribution box assembly further includes a lower cover. The lower cover includes an opening for receiving the wire bundle. The lower cover further includes a connector assembly pocket. The connector assembly pocket is configured to hold the connector assembly. 
     The connector assembly pocket includes an engagement feature. The engagement feature is spaced apart from and opposite of the opening. The engagement feature is configured to engage the support wall of the dress cover so as to retain the connector assembly in the connector assembly pocket which overcomes a load generated from the bend in the wire bundle. 
     In one aspect, an upper edge of the support wall is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the dress cover so as to define a slit, the engagement feature configured to engage the slit. 
     In one aspect, the engagement feature is a finger. 
     In one aspect, the power distribution box assembly includes an attachment member. The attachment member is disposed on the dress cover and is configured to engage the connector housing. 
     In another aspect, the connector housing includes a plurality of terminal slots wherein the wire bundle has a plurality of terminals that are configured to be seated within the terminal slots. The wire bundle is routed from the bottom surface of the connector housing through the opening of the dress cover and the lower cover so as to define a bend. 
     In another aspect, the lower cover includes an outer wall. The outer wall bounds a floor. The connector assembly pocket is disposed on the floor and is bound by the outer wall. 
     In another aspect, the connector assembly pocket includes a pair of inner sidewalls, a front wall and a back wall wherein the finger is mounted to a top edge of back wall. The power distribution box assembly may further include a finger having a planar member and a rib wherein the rib is disposed on a top edge of the planar member. 
     In another aspect, the rib includes a catch portion and a ramp portion wherein the catch portion has a planar surface that is orthogonal to the planar member. 
     Accordingly, a power distribution box and a power distribution box assembly is provided having an engagement feature which is configured to engage the connector assembly so as to retain the connector assembly within the connector assembly pocket and overcome a cantilevered force generated by a bend in the wire bundle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a power distribution box of the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a power distribution box according to a first embodiment illustrated herein. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the power distribution box shown in  FIG. 1  in a pre-installation state. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the connector assembly pocket. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view showing the connector assembly engaged with a finger of the connector assembly pocket. 
         FIG. 6  is a top down view showing the connector assembly pocket. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the power distribution box assembly showing the wire bundle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A power distribution box assembly for accommodating a wire bundle is provided. The power distribution box assembly includes a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a connector housing and a dress cover. The dress cover is coupled to the connector housing. 
     The power distribution box assembly includes a lower cover. The lower cover includes an opening for receiving the wire bundle and a connector assembly pocket. The connector assembly pocket is configured to accommodate the connector assembly. The connector assembly pocket includes an engagement feature configured to engage the dress cover so as to retain the connector assembly in a fixed position with respect to the connector assembly pocket and overcome a load generated from a bend in the wire bundle. As such, the connector assembly is retained in a proper position suitable for additional assembly processes. 
     With reference first to  FIGS. 2 through 6 , an illustrative depiction of a power distribution box  10  according to the principles of the present disclosure is provided. The power distribution box  10  may be formed of any material suitable for an injection molding process illustratively including polypropylene, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate and the like. 
     The power distribution box  10  is configured to accommodate a connector assembly  12 . The connector assembly  12  is preferably formed of a material suitable for an injection molding process, such as the materials listed above. The connector assembly  12  includes a connector housing  14  and a dress cover  16 . 
     The connector housing  14  includes a plurality of terminal slots  18  for receiving terminals (not shown) to provide an electrical connection between various components such as fuses, relays and the like. The connector housing  14  is coupled to the dress cover  16  in a conventional manner. For illustrative purposes, the dress cover  16  is shown as having a plurality of resilient tabs  20  for engaging catches  22  disposed on a first sidewall  24  of the connector housing  14 . The connector housing  14  is a generally cuboidal member having a pair of first side walls  24 , a first front wall  26  and a first back wall  28 . 
     The dress cover  16  is disposed at a bottom surface  30  of the connector housing  14 . The dress cover  16  is configured to route the wires from the connector assembly  12  to an opening  32  of a lower cover  34 . The dress cover  16  is a generally cylindrical member having a support wall  36 , a pair of second side walls  38  so as to define an open end  40  and an open top  42 , the open end  40  defining a wire route opening. The support wall  36  is opposite the open end  40  so as to define a closed end. The dress covers  16  has a generally u-shaped cross section. In one aspect of the connector assembly,  12  the support wall  36  includes a top edge  36   a  which is spaced apart from a bottom surface  14   a  of the connector housing  14  so as to define a slit  44 . 
       FIG. 2  depicts the connector assembly  12  fully seated within the lower cover  34 . In particular, the lower cover  34  is a generally cuboidal dimension having an outer wall  46  which bounds a floor  48 . The outer wall  46  includes a lower back wall  46   a , a pair of lower sidewalls  46   b , lower front wall  46   c  and a floor  48  so as to be open at the top of the lower cover  34 . The lower front wall  46   c  of the lower cover  34  is illustratively shown as having a pair of lower openings  32 . Each of the pair of lower openings  32  is configured to receive a wire bundle  300  (illustratively depicted in dashed lines in  FIG. 7 ). 
     For illustrative purposes, the lower cover  34  is shown as having only one connector assembly  12  seated within one of a pair of connector assembly pockets  50 . Each of the connector assembly pockets  50  are illustratively shown as being generally dimensioned the same as the other and therefore each configured to receive a connector assembly  12  of the same shape and dimension as each other. However, it should be appreciated that the connector assembly pockets  50  may be shaped differently so as to receive connector assemblies  12  of different dimensions. 
     The connector assembly pocket  50  is generally centered between the lower front wall  46   c  and the lower back wall  46   a  of the lower cover  34 . In particular, the connector assembly pocket  50  includes a pair of inner sidewalls  52 , an inner front wall  54  and an inner back wall  56  that are generally contiguous with each other and are dimensioned to bound a space configured to house the dress cover  16 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The connector assembly pocket  50  includes an engagement feature  58 . The engagement feature  58  is spaced apart from and opposite of the lower opening  32  of the lower cover  34 . The engagement feature  58  is configured to engage the dress cover  16  retain the connector assembly  12  within the connector assembly pocket  50 . In particular, the engagement feature  58  is configured to retain the dress cover  16  pressed against the floor  48  of the lower cover  34 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 4  a top down view of the connector assembly pocket  50  is provided.  FIG. 4  illustrates how the inner sidewalls  52  may be formed to provide resiliency to engage the sides of the dress cover  16 . In particular, each of the inner sidewalls  52  may include a plurality of inner slits  52   a  which define inner wall portions which are generally planar members.  FIG. 4  illustrates how the inner sidewalls  52  may be dimensioned irregular and not necessarily symmetric with respect to each other so as to better accommodate the dimensions of the dress cover  16 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3  and also to  FIG. 5 , an illustrative depiction of the engagement feature  58  is provided. The engagement feature  58  is disposed on the inner back wall  56  of the connector assembly pocket  50 . The engagement feature  58  is illustratively shown as a finger  58   a  having a planar member  60  and a rib  62 . The rib  62  extends along a top edge of the planar member  60  and may be the width of the top edge of the planar member  60 . The rib  62  is a generally ramped shaped member having a catch portion  62   a  and a ramp portion  62   b . The catch portion  62   a  is a generally planar surface that is orthogonal to the planar member  60  and forms an undersurface of the catch portion  62   a.    
     With reference now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a depiction of the operation of the power distribution box  10  is provided wherein the connector assembly  12  is seated and is coupled together. The wire bundles  300  form a first bend defined by a routing path extending from an undersurface of the connector housing  14  through the open end  40  of the dress cover  16  and out the lower opening  32  of the lower cover  34 . As the dress cover  16  is pressed into the connector assembly pocket  50 , the engagement feature  58  is biased outwardly and the dress cover  16  is pressed down until a bottom surface  16   a  of the dress cover  16  is seated against a top surface of the floor  48  of the connector assembly pocket  50 . The engagement feature  58  is shown as a resilient finger  58   a  which is returned to a neutral position and the catch portion  62   a  is seated against the top edge of the back wall of the dress cover  16  and the ramp portion is disclosed within the slit  44  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As such, in the event that the wire bundle  300  is routed to the undersurface of the lower cover  34 , the cantilevered force generated by a second bend in the wire formed about the opening  32  of the lower cover  34  is resisted by the engagement of the dress cover  16  and the engagement feature  58  of the connector pocket assembly  50 . Specifically, the top edge of the support wall  36  of the dress cover  16  is pressed against the catch portion  62   a  of the finger  58   a  so as to retain the dress cover  16  in a seated position against the floor  48  of the lower cover  34 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 7 , a power distribution box assembly  100  is provided. The power distribution box assembly  100  is configured to accommodate a wire bundle  300 . The power distribution box assembly  100  includes an upper housing  102 , a lower housing  104  and a lower cover  34 . The upper housing  102  and the lower housing may be formed of a material suitable for injection molding illustratively including polypropylene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate and the like. The upper housing  102  is configured to accommodate a plurality of electric components such as switches, fuses, relays and the like and the lower housing  104  is configured to hold a plurality of terminals. In particular, male terminals which are seated into the connector housing  14  of a connector assembly  12 . 
     The connector assembly  12  is secured to the upper and lower housings  102 ,  104  using a bolt  106 . The upper housing  102  is a generally rectangular member and may include conventional attachment features such as resilient tabs  20  and hooks which are configured to secure the upper housing  102  to the lower housing  104 . Likewise, the lower housing  104  is a generally rectangular member configured to be covered by the upper housing  102 . 
     The power distribution box assembly  100  includes a connector assembly  12 . The connector assembly  12  includes a connector housing  14  and a dress cover  16 . The connector housing  14  is a generally cuboidal member having a plurality of terminal slots  18  which extend between an upper and lower surface of the connector housing  14  so as to allow for an electrical connection between a pair of mating terminals. 
     The dress cover  16  is attached to a bottom surface of the connector housing  14 . The dress cover  16  is configured to route the wires from the connector assembly  12  to an opening  32  of the lower cover  34 . The dress cover  16  is a generally cylindrical member having a support wall  36 , a pair of second side walls  38  so as to define an open end  40  and an open top  42 , the open end  40  defining a wire route opening. The support wall  36  being opposite the open end  40  so as to define a closed end. The dress covers  16  has a generally u-shaped cross section. In one aspect of the connector assembly,  12  the support wall  36  includes a top edge  36   a  which is spaced apart from a bottom surface  14   a  of the connector housing  14  so as to define a slit  44 . 
     The lower cover  34  includes a connector assembly pocket  50 . The connector assembly pocket  50  is configured to hold the connector assembly  12 . The connector assembly pocket  50  includes an engagement feature  58  which is configured to engage the support wall  36  of the dress cover  16  so as to retain the connector assembly  12  within the connector assembly pocket  50 . In one aspect, the engagement feature  58  is a finger  58   a . For instance, the finger  58   a  may be the same as the finger  58   a  described above. The finger  58   a  is spaced apart from and opposite of the lower opening  32  of the lower cover  34  and the finger  58   a  is configured to engage a structure of the support wall of the dress cover  16  so as to retain the connector assembly  12  within the connector assembly pocket  50 . In one aspect, the finger is configured to engage the slit  44  between the connector housing  14  and the dress cover  16 . In one aspect, the dress cover  16  includes an attachment member  62  configured to engage the connector housing  14 . The attachment member  62  may be a conventional attachment member currently known or later developed. For illustrative purposes, the dress cover  16  is shown as having a plurality of resilient tabs  20  for engaging catches  22  disposed on a first sidewall  24  of the connector housing  14 . The connector housing  14  is a generally cuboidal member having a pair of first side walls  24 , a first front wall  26  and a first back wall  28 . 
     With reference again to  FIG. 7 , the cross sectional view of an assembled view of the power distribution box assembly  100  is provided. During assembly the connector housing  14  is assembled together with the wires inserted into the terminal slits  52   a  so as to form a wire bundle  300 . The wire bundle  300  is provided in dashed lines to facilitate explanation of the benefits of the power distribution box assembly  100  as described herein. As is illustrated, the wire bundle  300  includes a first bend  202  which routes the wire bundle  300  from the bottom surface of the connector housing  14  through the lower opening  32  of the lower cover  34 . The wire bundle  300  may include a second bend  304  the end of the lower opening  32  of the lower cover  34  and is routed to an undersurface of the lower cover  34  which generates a cantilevered force which urges the dress cover  16  away from the connector housing  14 , as indicated by the arrow. In particular, the cantilevered force urges the dress cover  16  and the connector housing  14  upward and away from the floor  48  of the lower cover  34 . As the engagement feature  58  engages the support wall  36 , the engagement feature  58  prevents the connector assembly  12  from being dislodged out of position. 
     It should be appreciated that the connector assembly  12  should remain fixed within the connector assembly pocket  50  so as to facilitate the assembly of the remaining pieces of the power distribution box assembly  100 . Namely, once the connector assembly  12  is positioned, the lower housing  104  is mounted onto the connector assembly  12  and the upper housing  102  is then mounted onto the lower housing  104 . A bolt  106  is used to secure the connector assembly  12  the lower housing  104  and the upper housing  102  together. 
     In instances where the connector assembly  12  is not properly seated within the connector assembly pocket  50 , there is a chance that the bolt hole extending through the upper housing  102 , lower housing  104  and connector housing  14  are not aligned, thus requiring the assembly worker to manually reposition the parts. 
     Accordingly, the power distribution box assembly  100  prevents the routing of a wire bundle  300  from disengaging the connector housing  14  assembly so as to facilitate the assembly of the power distribution box  10  assembled. 
     While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be realized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.