BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicles with electrical systems are equipped with fu blocks for safety. Such systems are not normally equipp with any mechanism for protecting electrical devices n included in the electrical system design. Historically, su devices have been attached through the cigaret light accessory, leaving wire trailing on or hanging from vario retrofitted appliances. These appliances include such thin as battery chargers for cellular telephones, fans, rad detectors, power supplies, CB radios, etc.

A variety of mechanisms for adding fuses have be proposed to get away from the trailing wire problem indicated by the following summarized patents.

U.S. Patent 3,821,695 issued to L.J. Sholer teaches means of adding a circuit to an existing cartridge-fus circuit by adding a connector that snaps over the diverge ends of the fuse holder arms. By adding an addition parallel circuit, the electrical load can be increased witho additional fuse protection.

U.S. Patent 4,023,884 issued to M.L. Morlan teaches means of adding a circuit to an existing cartridge-fuse circuit by providing a clip comprising a split cylinder whic fits between one end of a cartridge fuse and its holder an which contains a male terminal extending at right angles t

the split cylinder.

U.S. Patent 4,128,291 issued to .J. Peterson, Jr. teaches a means of adding one or more circuits to a cartridge- fused circuit by adding an adapter terminal at each end of a cartridge fuse block.

U.S. Patent 4,391,485 issued to A. Urano teaches an in- line fuse holder adapted to accept blade fuses, but does not provide additional circuits.

U.S. Patent 5,125,855 to D. L. Brooks teaches a unitary extender in a " V", "Y" or an angled configuration. These extenders are made up of an electrically conductive strip electrode, a connector element, and a non-conductive body. The strip electrode has a male and at least two female contacts. The connector element also has at least one male contact and the same number of female contacts as the strip electrode. One of the female contacts of the connector element is not electrically insulated from the male contact but the remainder are. The body maintains the strip electrode and the connector element in a side-by-side, parallel relationship where the positions of the male and female contacts of the connector element mirror the positions of the strip electrode contacts. Wire leads to accessories are connected to each of the isolated connector female contacts.

While these extenders work well, they are relatively expensive to manufacture and occupy a relatively large amount of space where little is available. An "L" configuration

unit, however, is unexpectedly less expensive to manufactur and has more utility. The "body" of such a unit can be "se off" the edge of the fuse block to provide additional spac for plugging in Brooks ¹ type extenders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Brooks-type plug fuse block extenders providing greate ease of usage have one pair of male contacts set perpendicula to multiple pairs of female contacts within an insulatin body, e.g., in an "L" configuratio .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figures 1-3 depict cutaway sections of preferre embodiments.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of a portion of a embodiment showing the attachment of a bottom insulator laye to the upper insulation block.

Figure 5 depicts a cross section of a portion of anothe embodiment showing the attachment of a bottom insulator layer to the upper insulation block.

Figure 6 shows a connector with a recurve for crimping a wire lead into place.

Figure 7-12 illustrate a most preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

All of Figures 1-6 use the same number designations for the various elements of the extender units but add

alphabetical designations as needed to differentiate some elements which have differing forms.

Figure 1 is a bottom view of an extender unit which has been stripped of its bottom electrical insulator to facilitate an understanding of the drawn unit. This layer would normally cover the bottom of circuit board 9 and its projection 10. Male contacts 11 and 12 are attached to the upper surface of circuit board 9 by prongs 11a and 12a which are right angle projections from one end of each of contacts 11 and 12. The prongs 11a and 12a pass through holes (not shown) in circuit board 9 and are soldered, brazed or welded to electrode strips 13 and 14.

Female contacts 15 are similarly attached to strip 13 by prongs 15a. Likewise, female contact 16 is attached to strip 14 by prongs 16a. Finally, independent female contact 17 is attached to strip 18 via prongs 17a. Insulated accessory wire 19 is also similarly attached to strip 18 when soldered into a hole in projection 10. An electrical insulator block 20 encases female contacts 15, 16 and 17 to complete the unit but leaves the upper ends of female contacts 15, 16 and 17 open (shown by the solid lines) to receive the male blades of plug fuses.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a second preferred embodiment sans a bottom insulator. In this embodiment, there is no circuit board and contacts 15 are attached to an extension of male contact 11 via holes lib in the male contact

11. Female contacts 16 and 17 are similarly attached to contacts 12 and 18 via holes 12b and 18b. A wire 19 with a crimp connector 21 is shown in position for a crimped attachment to strip 18.

Figure 3 is a section of an embodiment taken through A-A' of Figure 2 bisecting the bottoms of female contacts 15. The bottoms of contacts 15 are fitted into holes (not shown) in male contact 11. Insulator block 20 is force fitted into bottom insulator 22 and is locked in place by the frictional contact provided forcing upward and inward tapered projection 23 onto outwardly extending projection 24 which has a rounded, slightly flexible tip.

Figure 4 shows a portion of another embodiment having a male contact 11 and block 20 which has been thermally fused, at fusion layer 25, to bottom insulator 22 at the level of the upper surface of contact 11.

Figure 5 shows a portion of a different embodiment having a male contact 11 and block 20. Male contact 11 is sandwiched between insulator block 20 and bottom insulator 22 by adhesive layer 26.

Figure 6 shows a modified lead with an accessory connector 27 which has an upwardly recurved portion 28 which is crimped around stripped wire end 29 to ensure a permanent electrical contact.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an insulating block of

a most preferred embodiment. The block 30 has four holes 31 for emplacement of the female contacts 32 - 34 of Figures 8 - 10. A projection 35 has, on its undersurface, grooves 36 which are slightly wider than and the same configuration as the male contacts 37 and 38 of Figure 8 and 9. To the rear of slightly flexible latches 39 on the lateral lower edges of block 30 is the top of portion of a channel 41 for the enclosure of the insulated wire 42 of Figure 10. Projection 35 has a latch receptacle 43 with shelves 44 for retaining the slightly flexible latch arms 45 of latch 46 of Figure 11. A reinforcing element 47 strengthens the joint between block 30 and projection 35 while serving to prevent excessive penetration of contacts 37 and 38 too deeply into a fuse block female receptacle.

The electrode of Figure 8 is made from one strip of metal electrical conductor 48. Female contacts 32 are each bent into the indicated shape from "wings" on the ends of conductor 48. The strip is bent at point 49 to fold into the male contact 37 and bent again at right angles to form the "L" shape. A clip or solder (not shown) can be used to ensure that the strip portions to the right of point 49 remain aligned in a desired position if needed. The contact 38 of Figure 9 differs in design only in that the conducting strip 50 is cut off at point 51. The female contact 34 of Figure 10 is also made of a single conductor but has a bottom recurved portion 52 into which wire 53 is crimped. The other end of

wire 53 has a quick release or crimp receptacle 54 for connection to an accessory lead.

Figure 11 shows the upper surface of bottom insulator 55. This surface has grooves 56 which mate with grooves 36 of Figure 7 to enclose contacts 37 and 38. It also has the bottom, mating portion of channel 57 which is designed to seat wire 53 and the bottom recurved portion 52 of female contact 34. Latches 39 on each side of block 30 are forced through holes 58 and seat in enlargements (not shown) at the bottom of holes 58 in projections 59. A "T" shaped latch 46 is forced through latch receptacle 43 to, with latches 39, form an integral unit from the discussed elements.

Figure 12 depicts an assembled unit made up of the components of Figures 7 - 11.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The various materials utilized in vehicular electrical systems can also be used to manufacture the various components of the fuse block extenders. While the insulation is shown in the form of an insulation block and bottom insulator, the insulation can be in any other configuration, e.g., having two verticaly split parts.

While the Figures depict two pairs of female contacts per extender, more can be utilized. Thus, in the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, a third or more pairs of female contacts can be positioned within an insulating body extending laterally to

the left from the positions of male contact 11 and strip 18. Electrode strip 13 and the extensions of electrodes 11a and 55 would, of course, extend to each of the new female contacts 15 and 42. Each new electrode 17 pair would have an additional strip 18, or female contact 43, and lead wire 19. The male and female contact blade electrodes can be "U" shaped, hollow and solid round metal prongs, octagons, etc. The latches shown in Figures 7 - 12 are integral parts of each of the insulating block and bottom insulator but can be positioned anywhere and in any form. The insulator block and bottom insulator can also be attached by any other effective means, e.g., screws and nut and bolts, where disassembly is desirable or, thermal or solvent fusion where disassembly is not desirable. Similarly, the accessory lead wire can be connected to the accessory of a second fuse holder by any effective means, e.g., see Figs. 1, 2 and 6 or even soldered in place.

Accessories, as used herein, can be independently fused or non-fused. A plug fuse, sized appropriate to the accessory, is used with the fuse block extension. Accessories include items which can be permanently attached, e.g., a radar detector, or temporarily attached, e.g., a flashlight battery charger.

The extenders are used by connecting accessory lead wires, as needed, to an accessary and placing the appropriate male contacts into an appropriate female element of the vehicle fuse block and plugging in the needed fuses.