Tuning fork terminal slow blow fuse

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10600601-B2
Application number	US-201916544169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A fuse including a housing having upper and lower portions, a plurality of terminal portions disposed in the lower portion, each of said terminal portions having first and second prongs and a gap therebetween, the gap narrowing from a first width adjacent an upper end of said first and second prongs to a second width adjacent a lower end of said first and second prongs, a fusible link disposed in the upper portion of the housing between said plurality of terminal portions, and a partition in said lower portion of said housing, wherein a distance between each of the second prongs and the partition increases from a first end of each of the second prongs proximate the upper portion to a second end of each of the second prongs distal from the upper portion for allowing the second ends to be displaced toward the partition before engaging the partition.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fuse comprising:
a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion;
a plurality of terminal portions disposed in the lower portion of the housing, each of said terminal portions having first and second prongs and a gap disposed therebetween, wherein the gap narrows from a first width adjacent an upper end of said first and second prongs to a second width adjacent a lower end of said first and second prongs, said gap configured to receive terminals therein; and
a fusible link disposed in the upper portion of the housing and between said plurality of terminal portions, said fusible link configured to interrupt current flowing between said plurality of terminal portions upon certain high current conditions; and
a partition disposed in said lower portion of said housing, wherein a distance between each of the second prongs and the partition increases from a first end of each of the second prongs proximate the upper portion to a second end of each of the second prongs distal from the upper portion for allowing the second ends to be displaced a distance toward the partition before engaging the partition.

2. The fuse of claim 1 wherein said lower portion comprises a first and second chamber, said first chamber configured to house a first of said plurality of terminal portions and said second chamber configured to house a second of said plurality of terminal portions.

3. The fuse of claim 2 wherein, said partition is configured to maintain electrical isolation between a first terminal portion and said second terminal portion of said plurality of terminal portions.

4. The fuse of claim 3 further comprising a strain relief assembly disposed between said upper portion and said lower portion of said housing, said strain relief assembly being integrally formed with said partition.

5. The fuse of claim 4 wherein said strain relief assembly comprises at least one transversely extending ridge.

6. The fuse of claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of terminal portions comprises a retaining portion, said retaining portion contiguous with said at least one transversely extending ridge to provide strain relief for said fuse when a terminal is inserted into said gap.

7. The fuse of claim 1 wherein said housing is defined by first and second halves.

8. The fuse of claim 7 wherein each of said first and second halves including an upper portion and a lower portion such that when said first and second halves are joined together, said upper portion of said first half and said upper portion of said second half define said upper portion of said housing and said lower portion of said first half and said lower portion of said second half define said lower portion of said housing.

9. The fuse of claim 2 wherein said first chamber includes a raised bump extending from said housing toward one of said plurality of terminal portions to position said terminal portion within said first chamber.

10. The fuse of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a side wall, said side wall configured to provide a strain relief for each of said terminals.

11. The fuse of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a side wall, said side wall configured to provide positioning of said first and second prongs within said lower portion of said housing.

12. A fuse comprising:
a housing having first and second halves and defining an upper portion and a lower portion;
a strain relief assembly centrally disposed within at least said first half; and
a fusible member having first and second terminal portions and a fusible link connected between said first and second terminal portions, each of said first and second terminal portions having first and second prongs with a gap disposed therebetween, wherein the gap narrows from a first width adjacent an upper end of said first and second prongs to a second width adjacent a lower end of said first and second prongs, said fusible member disposed within said housing when said first and second halves are coupled together such that an upper portion of each of said first and second first and second terminal portions engages said strain relief assembly when a receiving terminal is inserted into said gap;
a partition disposed in said lower portion of said housing, wherein a distance between each of the second prongs and the partition increases from a first end of each of the second prongs proximate the upper portion to a second end of each of the second prongs distal from the upper portion for allowing the second ends to be displaced a distance toward the partition before engaging the partition.

13. The fuse of claim 12 wherein said first prong includes an upper end, a lower end and an angled wall disposed therebetween, said angled wall configured to provide increased cross-sectional area of said fusible member.

14. The fuse of claim 12 wherein said housing includes a side wall, said side wall configured to provide strain relief for each of said first and second terminal portions.

15. The fuse of claim 12 wherein said housing includes a side wall, said side wall configured to provide positioning of said first and second prongs within said lower portion of said housing.

16. The fuse of claim 12 wherein said first half of said housing includes a raised bump extending from said housing toward said first terminal portion to fixedly position said first terminal portion within said housing.

17. The fuse of claim 12 wherein said first half of said housing includes a raised bump extending from said housing toward said second terminal portion to fixedly position said second terminal portion within said housing.

18. A fuse comprising:
a housing having first and second outside walls and defining an upper portion and a lower portion, and
a fusible member having first and second terminal portions and a fusible link connected between said first and second terminal portions, each of said first and second terminal portions having first and second prongs and a gap disposed therebetween, wherein the gap narrows from a first width adjacent an upper end of said first and second prongs to a second width adjacent a lower end of said first and second prongs, said gap configured to receive terminals therein, said fusible member disposed within said housing such that said first prong of each of said terminals engages a respective one of said outside walls when a receiving terminal is inserted into said gap; and
a partition disposed in said lower portion of said housing, wherein a distance between each of the second prongs and the partition increases from a first end of each of the second prongs proximate the upper portion to a second end of each of the second prongs distal from the upper portion for allowing the second ends to be displaced a distance toward the partition before engaging the partition.

19. The fuse of claim 18 wherein said housing is defined by a first and second halves and said first and second terminal portions have respective upper portions, said fuse further comprising a strain relief assembly centrally disposed within said first half such that the upper portion of each of said first and second terminal portions engages said strain relief assembly when a receiving terminal is inserted into said gap.

Assignees

• Littelfuse Inc

Inventors

• Oh Seibang
• Urrea Julio
• Beckert James J

Classifications

• H01H85/0417 Primary

  with parallel side contacts · CPC title

• H01H85/153

  Knife-blade-end contacts · CPC title

• H01H85/147

  Parallel-side contacts · CPC title

• H01H85/2035

  for miniature fuses with parallel side contacts · CPC title

• H01H85/2045

  Mounting means or insulating parts of the base, e.g. covers, casings · CPC title