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Shore power wire harnessRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Connectors, With Vehicle Structure, Connection To Towed VehicleShore power wire harness description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070224843, Shore power wire harness. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/376,529, filed Mar. 15, 2006, entitled "Shorepower Wire Harness," the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to wire harnesses and more specifically to wire harnesses to connect a truck, a truck and trailer, a recreational vehicle or a bus to shore power. BACKGROUND [0003] Long-haul truck drivers typically idle their engines at truck stops or other locations to maintain power to the sleeping compartment of the tractor and, in colder climates, to keep the motor warm to avoid starting problems that might delay delivery of the cargo. Further, some trucks have a trailer that includes a refrigeration unit that requires constant power to avoid spoilage of cargo, which requires power from a diesel powered Trailer Refrigeration Unit (TRU), external power or a separate generator. External power is generally known as shore power. [0004] Federal hours-of-service rules regulate mandatory rest periods for truck drivers, but state and local laws, in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and toxic emissions, may limit the time trucks and buses can idle. Therefore, there is a need to have an easy way for truck drivers to connect to shore power to maintain power to the sleeping compartment of the tractor and accessories used to keep the truck engine warm, as well as power refrigeration units on trailers that have them. [0005] Truck drivers typically prefer to back into parking spaces so that they can easily pull out with other vehicles parked in close proximity, thereby reducing the risk that they will hit one of those vehicles. Also, when unloading a trailer, trucks are often backed towards a building and into a loading dock. In either situation, an external power source is then located at the rear of the truck. However, truck connections for external power are typically located on the tractor, which is at the front of the truck. In trailers with refrigeration units, which are typically located at the front of the trailer, connections to external power are usually located on the refrigeration unit itself or close to it. Both situations require a truck driver who backs into a parking space or loading dock to carry a long extension cord to run the length of the trailer to connect to an external power source. Trailers can be sixty feet long, resulting in a large and heavy extension cord that is difficult to handle. Further, a lose extension cord lying on the ground along the trailer can be a hazard for those walking by the truck as well as a hazard for the truck driver if the extension cord is lying in water or debris on the ground. SUMMARY [0006] The present invention provides a permanently mounted wire harness on a truck trailer to provide a connection, such as an inlet, to an external power source at the rear of the truck. [0007] In general, in one aspect, the invention features a wire harness for a vehicle having a bottom surface, a front end, a back end, and an electrical load, the wire harness includes a rear removable connector positioned adjacent the back end of the vehicle, a first cable attached to the bottom surface of the vehicle having a first end attached to the rear removable connector and a second end attached to the electrical load, so that the electrical load may then be enabled by an external power source when the rear removable connector is connected to the external power source. [0008] In embodiments, the wire harness may also include a protective cover having an inner surface and an outer surface that may be attached adjacent to the bottom surface of the vehicle and surrounds at least a portion of the first cable. In certain embodiments, the protective cover may be metal conduits, plastic conduits, box-shaped conduits, or U-shaped channels. [0009] In other embodiments, the wire harness may also include a winding wheel adjacent to the back end of the vehicle to move the rear removable connector away from the back end of the vehicle when the winding wheel is unwound and pull the rear removable connector towards the back end of the vehicle when the winding wheel is wound. [0010] In embodiments, the electrical load may be a heater, an air conditioner, a television, a microwave, a computer, a fan, a radio, a compact disc player, a VCR, a DVD player, an engine heater, a telephone, a light, a refrigerator, a refrigeration unit or other appliances. In still other embodiments, the first cable may be multiple wires, including electrical wires and data wires. [0011] In certain embodiments, the wire harness may also include a front removable connector located adjacent the front end of the vehicle. In such embodiments, the second end of the cable attaches to the electrical load through the front removable connector, a removable plug, and a load cable having a load cable first end attached to the removable plug and a load cable second end attached to the electrical load, such that the removable plug is removably attached to the front removable connector. In embodiments, the vehicle may be a semi-truck, a truck, a bus or a recreational vehicle. [0012] In other embodiments, the wire harness may also include a generator adjacent the bottom surface of the vehicle, an extension cable having a extension cable first end attached to the rear removable connector and an extension cable second end attached to the generator. The first end of the first cable is attached to the generator, which supplies electrical power to the electrical load when not connected to the external power source and is off when connected to the external power source. [0013] In general, in another aspect, the invention features a wire harness for a semi-truck having a tractor, a trailer including a bottom surface, a front end, and a back end, and an electrical load. The wire harness includes a rear removable connector located adjacent to the back end of the trailer and a front removable connector located adjacent to the front end of the trailer. A protective cover is attached adjacent to the bottom surface of the trailer and has an inner surface and outer surface. An extension cable with a distal end attached to the front removable connector and a proximal end attached to the rear removable connector is located within the protective cover adjacent to the protective cover inner surface. A tractor cable with a distal end connected to the electrical load and a proximal end attached to a tractor cable removable connector is removably attached to the front removable connector. The electrical load may thus be driven by an external power source when the rear removable connector is connected to an external power source. [0014] In embodiments, the wire harness also has a winding reel adjacent to the back end of the trailer and a windable cable on the winding reel. The extension cable may be attached to the rear removable connector by the windable cable, and the winding reel may move the rear removable connector from a position adjacent the back end of the trailer to a position spaced from the back end of the trailer such that the rear removable connector can be connected to external power, and the winding wheel may move the rear removable connector from a position spaced from the back end of the trailer to a position adjacent the back end of the trailer. [0015] In other embodiments, the wire harness also includes an auxiliary cord with a distal end removably connectable to the rear removable connector and a proximal end removably connectable to an external source of power. In embodiments, the electrical load may be a heater, an air conditioner, a television, a microwave, a computer, a fan, a radio, a compact disc player, a VCR, a DVD player, an engine heater, a telephone, a light, a refrigerator, a refrigeration unit or other appliances. In other embodiments, the extension cable may be a plurality of wires capable of transmitting electrical current and data signals. [0016] In general, in another aspect, the invention features a wire harness for a semi-truck having a tractor, a trailer including a bottom surface, a front end, a back end, a generator attached to the bottom surface between the front end and the back end, a refrigeration unit, and an electrical load. The wire harness includes a rear removable connector located adjacent to the back end of the trailer and a front removable connector located adjacent to the front end of the trailer. A first protective cover with an inner surface and outer surface is attached adjacent to the bottom surface of the trailer with a forward cable having a distal end attached to the front removable connector and a proximal end attached to the generator within the first protective cover adjacent the first protective cover inner surface. A second protective cover is attached adjacent to the bottom surface of the trailer and has an inner surface and outer surface and an extension cable, having a distal end attached to the generator and a proximal end attached to the rear removable connector, is located within the second protective cover adjacent to the second protective cover inner surface. A tractor cable having a distal end connected to the electrical load and a proximal end attached to a tractor cable removable connector is removably attached to the front removable connector. A refrigeration cable has a distal end connected to the refrigeration unit and a proximal end attached to the front removable connector. The electrical load and the refrigeration unit may thus be driven by an external power source when the rear removable connector is connected to the external power source. [0017] In embodiments, the wire harness also includes a winding reel adjacent the back end of the trailer and a windable cable on the winding reel. The extension cable is attached to the rear removable connector by the windable cable so the winding reel may move the rear removable connector from a position adjacent the back end of the trailer to a position spaced from the back end of the trailer and the rear removable connector can be connected to external power. The winding wheel may move also the rear removable connector from a position spaced from the back end of the trailer to a position adjacent the back end of the trailer. [0018] In other embodiments, the wire harness also includes an auxiliary cord having a distal end removably connectable to the rear removable connector and a proximal end removably connectable to an external source of power. In embodiments, the electrical load may be a heater, an air conditioner, a television, a microwave, a computer, a fan, a radio, a compact disc player, a VCR, a DVD player, an engine heater, a telephone, a light, a refrigerator, a refrigeration unit or other appliances. [0019] In other embodiments, the extension cable may be several wires capable of transmitting electrical current and data signals. In still other embodiments, the proximal end of the refrigeration cable may be permanently attached to the front removable connector. [0020] The invention can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. A wire harness mounted to the trailer of a truck allows drivers to back into parking spaces and eliminates the need for a truck driver to carry a long, heavy extension cord in the truck which has to be uncoiled and recoiled every time the truck driver stops for a mandatory rest period. The wiring harness helps prevent the truck driver from being potentially exposed to bad weather for an extended period of time and having to spend time in a busy parking lot where there is a danger of being struck by an adjoining truck. Further, the need to lift a heavy extension cord in and out of the truck is eliminated, thereby alleviating the possibility of truck driver injury from such heavy lifting. Also, the wire harness eliminates the possibility of injury from a frayed extension cord lying along the trailer, as well as eliminates a tripping hazard. Further still, the wire harness may include additional cables for easier access to telephone, internet and cable television lines which long-haul trucks often incorporate into the tractors. Continue reading about Shore power wire harness... Full patent description for Shore power wire harness Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Shore power wire harness patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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