Fuse holder, carrier and associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10249465-B2
Application number	US-201615182717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A fuse holder for holding a fuse is provided that includes a body, a line side connector supported by the body, and a load side connector supported by the body. The fuse holder also includes a toggle switch supported by the body and capable of toggled engagement in a first position that provides electrical connection. The switch is also capable of toggled engagement in a second position that provides electrical isolation between the line side connector and the load side connector. The fuse holder also includes a fuse carrier. The fuse carrier is supported by the body and adapted for holding the fuse and the fuse carrier is adapted to be removed from the fuse holder. The fuse holder includes a blocking device blocking the toggled engagement of the switch from the second position to the first position when the fuse carrier is not within the fuse holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuse holder for holding a fuse, comprising:
a body;
a line side connector supported by said body;
a load side connector supported by said body;
a switch pivotably supported by said body about a first axis, said switch being capable of engagement in a first position providing electrical connection between said line side connector and said load side connector and said switch being capable of engagement in a second position providing electrical isolation between said line side connector and said load side connector;
a fuse carrier, said fuse carrier supported by said body, said fuse carrier holding the fuse when the fuse is assembled into the fuse carrier and said fuse carrier adapted to be removed from said fuse holder, said fuse holder including a first fuse holder conductor in electrical engagement with a first end of the fuse when the fuse is assembled into the fuse holder and a second fuse holder conductor in electrical engagement with a second end of the fuse when the fuse is assembled into the fuse holder, said first fuse holder conductor electrically connected to one of the line side connector and the load side connector when the fuse holder is in an operating position, said second fuse holder conductor electrically connected to the other of the line side connector and the load side connector when the fuse holder is in an operating position; and
a cam pivotably supported by said body about a second axis spaced from said first axis, said cam connected to said switch and engageable with said fuse carrier to block the advancement of the fuse carrier into the body.

2. The fuse holder as in claim 1 , wherein said cam is adapted to urge said switch from toggled engagement in said first position to toggled engagement in said second position as said fuse carrier is removed from said fuse holder.

3. The fuse holder as in claim 1 :
wherein said fuse carrier defines a longitudinal axis; and
wherein said fuse carrier is separable from said body in a direction along the longitudinal axis of said fuse carrier.

4. The fuse holder as in claim 1 :
wherein said switch includes a first portion that pivots from the first position providing electrical connection between said line side connector and said load side connector to the second position providing electrical isolation between said line side connector and said load side connector; and
wherein said switch includes a second portion that includes a pair of switch contacts that selectably engage and disengage with a pair of body contacts fixedly secured to said body, the second portion slidably movable with respect to said body, the second portion operably connected to the first portion.

5. The fuse holder as in claim 1 ,
wherein said fuse holder is adapted to provide for toggled engagement of the switch in the second position prior to the electrical disengagement of at least one of first end of said fuse to the line side connector and second end of said fuse to the load side connector as said fuse carrier is removed from said fuse holder.

6. The fuse holder as in claim 2 :
wherein said cam has a first position for blocking the removal of the fuse carrier from said body when said switch is in toggled engagement in said first position; and
wherein said cam has a second position for permitting the removal of the fuse carrier from said body when said switch is in toggled engagement in said second position.

7. The fuse holder as in claim 1 :
wherein said cam comprises a blocking device feature; and
wherein said fuse holder comprises a fuse holder feature for cooperation with the blocking device feature for blocking the removal of the fuse carrier from said body when said switch is in toggled engagement in said first position.

8. The fuse holder as in claim 7 :
wherein one of said blocking device feature and said fuse holder feature comprises a protrusion; and
wherein the other of said blocking device feature and said fuse holder feature comprises a void.

9. The fuse holder as in claim 1 , wherein said fuse holder further comprises fuse electrical contacts mounted to said body, the contacts having concave engagement surfaces adapted to engage opposed cylindrical electrical contacts of the fuse.

10. The fuse holder as in claim 1 , wherein said fuse carrier further comprises an indicating module for indicating that a fuse is not functioning properly.

11. The fuse holder as in claim 1 :
wherein said cam defines one of a pocket and a protrusion; and
wherein said fuse carrier defines the other of a pocket and a protrusion, the protrusion engaging the pocket to rotate said cam as said fuse carrier is separated from the body in a direction along the longitudinal axis of said fuse carrier.

12. A fuse holder for holding a fuse, comprising:
a body;
a line side connector supported by said body;
a load side connector supported by said body;
a switch providing electrical connection between said line side connector and said load side connector in a first position and said switch providing electrical isolation between said line side connector and said load side connector in a second position, different from the first position;
a fuse carrier, said fuse carrier supported by said body, said fuse carrier holding the fuse when the fuse is assembled into the fuse carrier and said fuse carrier removeable from said fuse holder, said fuse holder including a first fuse holder conductor in electrical engagement with a first end of the fuse when the fuse is assembled into the fuse holder and a second fuse holder conductor in electrical engagement with a second end of the fuse when the fuse is assembled into the fuse holder, said first fuse holder conductor electrically connected to one of the line side connector and the load side connector when the fuse holder is in an operating position, said second fuse holder conductor electrically connected to the other of the line side connector and the load side connector when the fuse holder is in an operating position; and
a cam pivotably supported by said body about a first axis, said cam connected to said switch, said cam having a cam feature in intimate engagement with a fuse carrier feature to block the advancement of the fuse carrier into the body when the cam is in a first angular orientation relative to said body, the cam having a second angular orientation relative to said body, different than the first angular orientation, the second angular orientation permitting the advancement of the fuse carrier into the body.

13. The fuse holder as in claim 12 , wherein said cam urges said switch from said first position to said second position as said fuse carrier is removed from said fuse holder.

14. The fuse holder as in claim 12 ,
Wherein said cam feature comprises a void and
wherein said fuse carrier feature comprises a protrusion.

15. The fuse holder as in claim 12 , wherein said switch is pivotably supported by said body about a second axis spaced from the first axis.

16. A fuse holder for holding a fuse, comprising:
a body;
a line side connector supported by said body;
a load side connector supported by said body;
a switch pivotably supported by said body about a first axis, said switch providing electrical connection between said line side connector and said load side connector in a first position and said switch providing electrical isolation between said line side connector and said load side connector in a second position, different from the first position;
a fuse carrier, said fuse carrier supported by said body, said fuse carrier holding the fuse when the fuse is assembled

Assignees

• Regal Beloit America Inc

Inventors

• Brakefield Timothy Joseph
• Minnick Troy Thomas
• Shaffer Isaac Phillip
• Buskey Paul Scott

Classifications

• H01H85/205

  Electric connections to contacts on the base · CPC title

• H01H85/22 Primary

  Intermediate or auxiliary parts for carrying, holding, or retaining fuse, co-operating with base or fixed holder, and removable therefrom for renewing the fuse · CPC title

• H01H89/04

  Combination of a thermally actuated switch with a manually operated switch · CPC title

• H01H85/25

  Safety arrangements preventing or inhibiting contact with live parts, including operation of isolation on removal of cover · CPC title

• H01H85/24

  Means for preventing insertion of incorrect fuse · CPC title