Patent ID: 7666028

Claim:
A wiring arrangement for interconnecting an alternating current power source to a receptacle within a motor vehicle, comprising: a first wire harness having a predetermined current rating; a second wire harness having a similar current rating; and a coupling mechanism electrically interconnecting the first and second wire harnesses of similar current ratings, the coupling mechanism restricting interconnection of wire harnesses having dissimilar current ratings and including a first housing coupled to the first wire harness and one of a plurality of electrical sockets and a plurality of current-carrying pins coupled thereto, the first housing including a boss and cylindrical wall circumscribing the boss, the wall having an end face offset from an end face of the boss, the boss being positioned within the receptacle and the cylindrical wall being positioned within a groove of the second housing circumscribing the receptacle, the coupling mechanism including a second housing including a receptacle for receiving a portion of the first housing and the other of the plurality of electrical sockets and the plurality of current-carrying pins, the current-carrying pins conducting electricity to the electrical sockets when the first housing is coupled to the second housing, wherein the coupling mechanism includes first, second and third means for rotationally aligning the first and second housing, wherein at least one of the means for rotational aligning includes an axially extending rib formed on one of the first and second housings and a mating groove formed on the other of the first and second housings, wherein the rib and the groove mate with one another to allow interconnection of housings having common current ratings and resist interconnection with housings having different current ratings.