Electrical component housings are commonly used in the automotive industry to house fuse devices and relay devices that are necessary to protect or perform various functions in a motor vehicle's electrical power distribution network.
The component housings must be accessible by diagnosticians for carrying out inspections and possibly replacing failed devices contained within the housings. Therefore, easy access to the interior of the housings is desirable.
The component housings are typically mounted on a suitable surface or surfaces in either the passenger compartment or in the engine compartment. The housings are mounted directly to the surface by bolts, screws or similar fasteners. In the alternative, a housing is mounted onto a bracket by bolts, screws or similar fasteners and the bracket, in turn, is fastened to the chosen surface or surfaces.
There are advantages to using a bracket. A resilient bracket is useful in isolating electrical devices contained within the housing from road shocks and vibrations that a vehicle encounters while in service. Additionally by using a bracket, the housing may be attached to an irregular surface that would not be suitable for direct mounting of the housing.
However, with a bracket additional time and fasteners are used as part of the process of installing the housing during the assembly of the motor vehicle. Therefore, there is a need for a bracket in which housings may be easily and quickly attached with a minimum of fasteners, yet allowing access to the interior of the housing and easy removal of the housings from the bracket if needed.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds