Abstract: A grommet mainly made of soft, pliable material has a flange section for sealing against a first side of a vehicle panel around an aperture through the panel. A groove separates the flange section from a conical section that tapers from the groove to a narrower tubular section for tightly fitting around a wire harness passed through the grommet. The conical section has a wider end adjacent the groove that presses against a second, opposite side of the panel when the groove receives an edge of the aperture and the grommet is seated on the panel. The conical section has a region that engages the edge of the aperture as the grommet is pulled to an installed position. A plurality of raised, hard, rigid contact pads are arranged in a circumferential row around the engagement region to provide low friction while sliding past the edge of the aperture when the grommet is pulled through the aperture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for aligning and heat staking a plurality of stackable junction box components having pilot holes normally used only for registration and alignment purposes. A heat stakable element is inserted through the pilot holes and used to secure the stacked components through the pilot holes. This eliminates the need for heat stake and stake hole structure built into the various junction box layers, thereby freeing up valuable junction box layout space for additional bus bar runs and electrical component receptacles. In a preferred form the heat stakable element is formed in the shape of a pilot pin to engage the pilot holes and simultaneously register and heat stake them together.

Abstract: A flat (horizontal) press-fit busbar terminal structure for use in junction boxes, power distribution boxes, and the like at vehicle wiring junctions. Instead of the usual vertical busbar terminal extending through one or more insulation plate layers to be connected to the vertical terminals of a pluggable component, flat press-fit terminals are fastened in horizontal, essentially flush fashion to the surfaces of the flat insulation plates, with horizontally disposed terminal ends for receiving pluggable component terminals therethrough in perpendicular fashion. The flat terminals of the invention greatly reduce the overall height of the junction box, PDB, etc., thereby allowing the vertical component terminals to be used in place of peripheral jumper connections to interconnect one or more layers of busbar terminals.

Abstract: An adapter for mating two or more electrical circuit components to a power distribution box receptacle designed to receive a relay or other circuit component having at least four terminals. The adapter includes a hollow body formed of an electrically non-conductive material, a plurality of contacts disposed within the interior of the body, and means for positioning and frictionally engaging the circuit components so as to retain them within the adapter and with their terminals in electrical connection with the contacts. The contacts are in electrical connection with respective adapter terminals projecting from the adapter body in a configuration substantially identical with the terminals of the circuit component which the adapter replaces, so that the adapter terminals are matable with the receptacle to place the components in connection with circuitry internal to the power distribution box.

Abstract: An anti-rotational fastener for securing an electrical connector or other wire harness component to a surface having two holes formed therein. The fastener has a base which is attached to the connector, a first mounting stem fixed to the base, and a second mounting stem that can be locked to the base at any of several mounting positions to adjust the distance between the mounting stems. The fastener may thus be used with differently-spaced sets of mounting holes. The fastener is preferably formed with an integral flexible strap connecting the second mounting stem to the base so that the fastener may be molded as a single piece. The strap bends as necessary to allow the second mounting stem to be secured to the base in any one of the mounting locations.

Abstract: A shroud for securing a wire harness and its attached connector to a electrical power distribution center (PDC) assembly. The shroud surrounds the end of the wire harness and engages the wire harness connector so as to permit a degree of linear movement of the connector relative to the shroud. The shroud is secured to a PDC housing to place the connector in alignment with a mating connector on a PDC, and a bolt passing through the mating connector is tightened into engagement with a nut molded into the wire harness connector to draw the wire harness connector into electrical connection with the mating connector.

Abstract: A wire retaining clip for guiding bundled wires extending from an electrical connector mounted to a power distribution box and securing the wires to the box to prevent vibration of the wires from causing them to separate from their terminals. The wire retaining clip is molded in a single piece and comprises a connector cover which snaps into attachment with the electrical connector to secure the wire terminals therein and a wire guide member attached to the cover by a living hinge. The wire guide member encloses the wires and routes them around an edge of the power distribution box and along a second surface of the box. The wires are taped or otherwise secured to the wire guide member, and a lock mechanism on the wire guide member engages cooperating means on the power distribution box to secure the wires to the box.