Fuse bank for HVAC systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11451014-B2
Application number	US-201916423796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fuse bank design for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The disclosed stair-step design enables the positioning of electrical components of the fuse bank in a non-vertically aligned manner, which blocks the accumulation of heat in the upper electrical components as a result of convection heating from the lower components of the fuse bank during operation of the HVAC system. For example, a fuse bank is disclosed for an HVAC system that includes: a mounting surface; a first fuse block including a first fuse holder coupled to the mounting surface; a spacer coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the first fuse block; and a second fuse block including a second fuse holder coupled to the spacer, wherein the spacer offsets the second fuse block from the mounting surface of the fuse bank in a stair-step arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuse bank for a heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a mounting surface;
a first fuse block including a first fuse holder coupled to the mounting surface;
a spacer coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the first fuse block, wherein the spacer includes a stand-off bracket that defines a volume between a back face of the stand-off bracket and the mounting surface; and
a second fuse block including a second fuse holder coupled to the spacer, wherein the spacer offsets the second fuse block from the mounting surface of the fuse bank in a stair-step arrangement.

2. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse holder extends a first distance from the mounting surface, and wherein the spacer offsets the second fuse block from the mounting surface by at least the first distance.

3. The fuse bank of claim 2 , wherein the second fuse holder extends a second distance from a face of the spacer, and including:
a second spacer coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the second fuse block; and
a third fuse block including a third fuse holder coupled to the second spacer, wherein the second spacer offsets the third fuse block by at least a sum of the first distance and the second distance from the mounting surface.

4. The fuse bank of claim 3 , wherein the third fuse holder extends a third distance from an additional face of the second spacer, and including:
a third spacer coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the third fuse block; and
a fourth fuse block including a fourth fuse holder coupled to the third spacer, wherein the third spacer offsets the fourth fuse block by at least a sum of the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance from the mounting surface.

5. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein the stand-off bracket includes a top flange and a bottom flange that enclose the volume.

6. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein a top side and a bottom side of the stand-off bracket are open to enable airflow through the volume.

7. The fuse bank of claim 1 , comprising one or more cooling fins disposed within the volume and coupled to the back face of the stand-off bracket.

8. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein the stand-off bracket includes a z-bracket.

9. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse block or the second fuse block includes a contactor and a slow-blow fuse.

10. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse block or the second fuse block includes a relay.

11. The fuse bank of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse block and the second fuse block are electrically coupled to an electric heater of the HVAC system.

12. A fuse block assembly for an electric heater, comprising:
a mounting surface;
a first fuse block positioned along a first row of the fuse block assembly and including a first set of fuse holders coupled to a first portion of the mounting surface, wherein the first set of fuse holders extends a first distance from a rear vertical plane defined by the fuse block assembly; and
a second fuse block positioned along a second row of the fuse block assembly and including a second set of fuse holders coupled to a second portion of the mounting surface, wherein the second set of fuse holders is offset from the rear vertical plane by a second distance that is greater than the first distance, and wherein the first fuse block or the second fuse block is disposed at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the rear vertical plane.

13. The fuse block assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second set of fuse holders extends a third distance from the mounting surface of the fuse block assembly and comprising a third fuse block positioned along a third row of the fuse block assembly and including a third set of fuse holders coupled to a third portion of the mounting surface and positioned at a fourth distance from the rear vertical plane, wherein the fourth distance is greater than or equal to a sum of the second distance and the third distance.

14. The fuse block assembly of claim 12 , comprising a multi-level spacer that includes the mounting surface, wherein the mounting surface of the multi-level spacer includes a first integral stair-step extension having the first portion of the mounting surface and includes a second integral stair-step extension having the second portion of the mounting surface.

15. The fuse block assembly of claim 14 , wherein the multi-level spacer includes a rear surface configured to couple to a fuse bank mounting surface to yield a fuse bank having a stair-step arrangement.

16. A heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
an electric heater;
a fuse bank electrically coupled to the electric heater, wherein the fuse bank includes:
a mounting surface;
a first fuse block that extends a first distance from the mounting surface;
a second fuse block mounted to a first face of a first bracket, wherein the first bracket is coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the first fuse block and spaces the second fuse block from the mounting surface by at least the first distance, and wherein the second fuse block extends a second distance from the first face of the first bracket; and
a third fuse block mounted to a second face of a second bracket, wherein the second bracket is coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the second fuse block and spaces the third fuse block from the mounting surface by at least a sum of the first distance and the second distance.

17. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein the third fuse block extends a third distance from the second face of the second bracket, and including a fourth fuse block mounted to a third face of a third bracket, wherein the third bracket is coupled to the mounting surface vertically below the third fuse block and spaces the fourth fuse block from the mounting surface by at least a sum of the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance.

18. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein each of the first fuse block, the second fuse block, and the third fuse block are configured to supply a respective phase of a three-phase power source to the electric heater.

19. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second brackets consist essentially of galvanized steel.

20. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein the first fuse block, the second fuse block, or the third fuse block includes a relay or a contactor.

21. The HVAC system of claim 16 , wherein the first fuse block, the second fuse block, or the third fuse block includes a fuse configured to operate above a rated capacity of the fuse.

22. The fuse block assembly of claim 12 , comprising a spacer configured to offset the second set of fuse holders from the rear vertical plane by the second distance, wherein the spacer includes a stand-off bracket that defines a volume between a back face of the stand-off bracket and the second portion of the mounting surface.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co
• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Wilson Stephen C
• Blanton Norman J

Classifications

• H02B1/04 Primary

  Mounting thereon of switches or of other devices in general, the switch or device having, or being without, casing · CPC title

• H02B1/56

  Cooling; Ventilation · CPC title

• H01H85/20

  Bases for supporting the fuse; Separate parts thereof · CPC title

• H05B1/0205 Primary

  using a fusible material · CPC title

• H02B1/18

  Disposition or arrangement of fuses (for switchgear having a withdrawable carriage H02B11/26) · CPC title