Patent ID: 8221165

Claim:
A connector assembly comprising: a housing configured to mate with a mating connector; an input conductor held in the housing, the input conductor extending between a receiving end and a coupling end, the receiving end configured to receive electric current from a power source, the coupling end configured to join with a fuse inside the housing; and an output conductor held in the housing, the output conductor extending between a transmission end and a joining end, the joining end configured to couple with the fuse inside the housing, the transmission end configured to convey the electric current to a first electric load, wherein the input conductor and the output conductor are electrically coupled with one another via the fuse to provide a fused conductive pathway within the connector assembly over which the electric current passes from the power source to the first electric load, wherein the housing includes interlock conductors that are configured to mate with a conductive body of the mating connector to close an interlock circuit that controls transmission of the electric current.