Hinged pull-down fuse block assembly

Claim 2

A fuse block assembly for an automotive vehicle having an instrument panel which projects toward the driver and has a generally vertical front wall, said fuse block assembly comprising; a bracket having a front wall and spaced side walls, said bracket being adapted to be attached to the vehicle behind the front wall of the instrument panel in a generally horizontal position, a fuse block having one end hinged to the front wall of the bracket for movement about a horizontal axis between a generally horizontal position where the fuse block is stored between the side walls and a generally vertical position where the fuse block hangs below the instrument panel for easy access to replace the fuses and the like carried thereby, and a manually releasable latch comprising a latch member for holding the fuse block in the stored position and a handle for operating the latch member, said latch member being attached at the opposite end of the fuse block by a flex arm and engaging the bracket to hold the fuse block in the stored position, and said handle being attached to the latch member by a rigid spar whereby the latch member moves away from the fuse block to release the latch member from the bracket and permit the fuse block to move to a generally vertical position.

Claim 3

A fuse block assembly for an automotive vehicle having an instrument panel which projects toward the driver and has a generally vertical front wall, said fuse block assembly comprising; a bracket having a front wall and spaced side walls, said bracket being adapted to be attached to the vehicle behind the front wall of the instrument panel in a generally horizontal position, a fuse block having one end hinged to a lower edge of the front wall of the bracket for movement about a horizontal axis, between a generally horizontal position where the fuse block is stored between the side walls and a generally vertical position where the fuse block hangs below the instrument panel for easy access to replace the fuses and the like carried thereby, and a manually releasable latch comprising a latch bar for holding the fuse block in the stored position and a handle for operating the latch bar, said latch bar being attached at the opposite end of the fuse block by flex arms and having opposite ends which engage rear edge notches in the respective side walls of the bracket to hold the fuse block in the generally horizontal position between the side walls, and said handle being attached to the latch bar by rigid spars whereby the latch bar moves away from the fuse block responsive to movement of the handle toward the fuse block to release the ends of the latch bar from the notches and permit the fuse block to move to a generally vertical position.

Claim 4

A fuse block assembly for an automotive vehicle having an instrument panel which projects toward the driver and has a generally vertical front wall, said fuse block assembly comprising; a bracket having a front wall and spaced side walls, said bracket being adapted to be attached to the vehicle behind the front wall of the instrument panel in a generally horizontal position, a fuse block having one end hinged to a lower edge of the front wall of the bracket for movement about a horizontal axis, between a generally horizontal position where the fuse block is stored between the side walls and a generally vertical position where the fuse block hangs below the instrument panel for easy access to replace the fuses and the like carried thereby, and a manually releasable latch comprising a latch bar for holding the fuse block in the stored position and a handle for operating the latch bar, said latch bar being attached at the opposite end of the fuse block by flex arms and having opposite ends which engage rear edge notches in the respective side walls of the bracket to hold the fuse block in the generally horizontal position between the side walls, and said handle being attached to the latch bar by rigid spars whereby the latch bar moves away from the fuse block responsive to movement of the handle toward the fuse block to release the ends of the latch bar from the notches and permit the fuse block to move to a generally vertical position.

Claim 5

A fuse block assembly for an automotive vehicle having an instrument panel which projects toward the driver and has a generally vertical front wall, said fuse block assembly comprising; a U-shaped bracket having a front wall and spaced side walls, said bracket being adapted to be attached to the vehicle behind the front wall of the instrument panel in a generally horizontal position, a fuse block having one end connected to a flap integrally hinged to a lower edge of the front wall of the bracket whereby the fuse block pivots about a horizontal axis, between a generally horizontal position where the fuse block is stored between the side walls of the bracket and a generally vertical position where the fuse block hangs below the instrument panel for easy access to replace the fuses and the like carried thereby, and a manually releasable latch comprising a generally flat body attached at the opposite end of the fuse block, a latch bar for holding the fuse block in the stored position and a handle spaced from and parallel to the latch bar for operating the latch bar, said latch bar being attached to the generally flat body by a pair of coplanar flex arms of the generally flat body and having opposite ends which engage rear edge notches in the respective side walls of the bracket to hold the fuse block in the generally horizontal position between the side walls, and said handle being attached to the latch bar by a pair of rigid spars whereby the latch bar moves away from the fuse block responsive to movement of the handle toward the fuse block to release the ends of the latch bar from the notches and permit the fuse block to pivot to the generally vertical position.

Claim 6

A fuse block assembly for an automotive vehicle having an instrument panel which projects toward the driver and has a generally vertical front wall, said fuse block assembly comprising; a U-shaped bracket having a front wall and spaced side walls, said bracket being adapted to be attached to the vehicle behind the front wall of the instrument panel in a generally horizontal position, a fuse block having one end connected to a flap integrally hinged to a lower edge of the front wall of the bracket whereby the fuse block pivots about a horizontal axis, between a generally horizontal position where the fuse block is stored between the side walls of the bracket and a generally vertical position where the fuse block hangs below the instrument panel for easy access to replace the fuses and the like carried thereby, and a manually releasable latch comprising a generally flat body attached at the opposite end of the fuse block, a latch bar for holding the fuse block in the stored position and a handle spaced from and parallel to the latch bar for operating the latch bar, said latch bar being attached to the generally flat body by a pair of coplanar flex arms of the generally flat body and having opposite ends which engage rear edge notches in the respective side walls of the bracket to hold the fuse block in the generally horizontal position between the side walls, and said handle being attached to the latch bar by a pair of rigid spars whereby the latch bar moves away from the fuse block responsive to movement of the handle toward the fuse block to release the ends of the latch bar from the notches and permit the fuse block to pivot to the generally vertical position.

Claim 7

The fuse block assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the pair of flex arms are connected to the lock bar about one-third of the way in from the respective ends of the lock bar and wherein the pair of rigid spars are aligned with the pair of flex arms whereby the end portions of the latch bar are flexible in a direction transverse to the flex arms.

Claim 8

The fuse block assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the pair of rigid spars engage the respective rear edge of the bracket side walls when the fuse block is in the horizontal position and rock on such edge to pivot the lock bar out of the rear edge notches when the handle is moved toward the fuse block.