Environmentally sealed electrical housing assembly with integrated connector

摘要

An environmentally sealed electrical housing assembly (10) with an integrated connector and a method (100) for manufacturing same is presented. The assembly includes a non-accessible electrical component (14), such an electromechanical relay, and a plurality of terminals (16) connected to a circuit board (12). A dielectric housing (22) encases the non-accessible electrical component (14). The housing (22) is in intimate contact with the non-accessible electrical component (14), thereby sealing it from the environment. The housing (22) defines an integral perimeter wall (24) that surrounds the terminals (16), forming a cavity (36). Removable electrical components (20), such as fuse assemblies, may be attached to the terminals (16) inside the cavity (36). When a sealed mating connector is attached to the housing (22), the removable components (20) are also sealed from the environment. The assembly (10) allows distribution of power switching functions and circuit protection to be distributed to a location near the electrical load instead of a central location, such as a bussed electrical center.