Fuse holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12340966-B2
Application number	US-202217804028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2022
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A fuse holder comprises first and second body halves. The first body half includes a wall having a fuse cavity, a first channel extending from a first end of the fuse cavity of the first body half, and a second channel extending from a second end of the fuse cavity of the first body half. The second body half includes a wall having a fuse cavity, a third channel extending from a first end of the fuse cavity of the second body half, and a fourth channel extending from a second end of the fuse cavity of the second body half. The first channel and the third channel mate together and form a first fuse lead guide path, and the second channel and the fourth channel mate together and form a second fuse lead guide path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuse holder comprising:
a first body half comprising a wall having:
a fuse cavity formed therein, the fuse cavity of the first body half forming a first portion of a cavity for a single fuse;
a first channel formed therein and extending from a first end of the fuse cavity of the first body half, the first channel forming a first portion of a first fuse lead guide path;
a second channel formed therein and extending from a second end of the fuse cavity of the first body half, the second channel forming a first portion of a second fuse lead guide path; and

a second body half comprising a wall having:
a fuse cavity for the single fuse formed therein, the fuse cavity of the second body half forming a second portion of the cavity for the single fuse;
a third channel formed therein and extending from a first end of the fuse cavity of the second body half, the third channel forming a second portion of the first fuse lead guide path;
a fourth channel formed therein and extending from a second end of the fuse cavity of the second body half, the fourth channel forming a second portion of the second fuse lead guide path; and

a lead offset portion of the first channel comprising a tongue configured to offset the first fuse lead guide path away from an interior surface of the wall of the first body half in a direction normal to the interior surface of the wall of the first body half;
wherein:
the first channel and the third channel mate together and form the first fuse lead guide path;
the second channel and the fourth channel mate together and form the second fuse lead guide path; and
the third channel has a groove formed therein configured to receive the tongue.

2. The fuse holder of claim 1 , wherein:
the first channel further comprises a curve portion configured to deviate the first fuse lead guide path toward a bottom of the first body half; and
the lead offset portion extends between the curve portion and the bottom.

3. The fuse holder of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of standoffs extending from the bottom and configured to create a space between the bottom and a mounting surface abutting the plurality of standoffs.

4. The fuse holder of claim 3 , wherein the mounting surface comprises a printed circuit board.

5. The fuse holder of claim 1 , wherein the fuse cavity of the first body half and the fuse cavity of the second body half form a first support cavity configured to surround at least a portion of a first fuse positioned therein with the first and second body halves fastened together in an abutting relationship.

6. The fuse holder of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second body halves further has second and third fuse cavities formed therein that form second and third support cavities configured to receive respective fuses therein with the first and second body halves fastened together in the abutting relationship.

7. The fuse holder of claim 6 , wherein:
the first body half further comprises:
a first tongue portion extending from the interior surface of the wall of the first body half between the first fuse cavity and the second fuse cavity; and
a second tongue portion extending from the interior surface of the wall of the first body half between the second fuse cavity and the third fuse cavity;

the second body half further comprises:
a first groove portion extending into the interior surface of the wall of the second body half between the first fuse cavity and the second fuse cavity; and
a second groove portion extending from the interior surface of the wall of the second body half between the second fuse cavity and the third fuse cavity;

the first groove portion is configured to mate with and receive the first tongue portion; and
the second groove portion is configured to mate with and receive the second tongue portion.

8. The fuse holder of claim 5 , wherein one of the first body half and the second body half comprises a fastener tab extending therefrom and configured to mate with a corresponding tab receiving portion formed in the other of the first body half and the second body half with the first and second body halves fastened together in the abutting relationship.

9. The fuse holder of claim 1 , wherein:
a lead offset portion of the fourth channel comprises a tongue configured to offset the second fuse lead guide path away from the interior surface of the wall of the second body half in a direction normal to the interior surface of the wall of the second body half; and
the second channel has a groove formed therein configured to receive the tongue of the fourth channel.

10. The fuse holder of claim 1 , wherein the first and second body halves are identical to each other.

11. A method of assembling a fuse assembly comprising:
positioning a first fuse in a first fuse cavity of a first body half of a fuse holder, the first fuse cavity forming a first portion of a single fuse cavity; and
fastening a second body half of the fuse holder to the first body half to form a first support cavity about the first fuse;
wherein the first body half comprises a wall having:
the first fuse cavity formed therein;
a first channel extending from the first fuse cavity and configured to form a first portion of a first fuse lead guide path, the first fuse lead guide path configured to guide a first lead of the first fuse from the first support cavity to a first position extending from the fuse holder; and
a second channel extending from the first fuse cavity and configured to form a first portion of a second fuse lead guide path, the second fuse lead guide path configured to guide a second lead of the first fuse from the first support cavity to a second position extending from the fuse holder; and

wherein the second body half comprises a wall having:
a second fuse cavity formed therein configured to receive the first fuse, the second fuse cavity forming a second portion of the single fuse cavity;
a third channel extending from the first fuse cavity and configured to mate with the first channel, the third channel forming a second portion of the first fuse lead guide path; and
a fourth channel extending from the first fuse cavity and configured to mate with the second channel, the fourth channel forming a second portion of the second fuse lead guide path; and

further comprising:
bending the first lead to follow one or more contours of the first fuse lead guide path; and
bending the second lead to follow one or more contours of the second fuse lead guide path via the fastening of the second body half to the first body half.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein fastening the second body half to the first body half comprises engaging a fastening tab of the first body half with a tab receiving portion of the second body half.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein bending the first lead comprises bending the first lead prior to fastening the second body half to the first body half, and wherein bending the second lead comprises bending the second lead prior to fastening the second body half to the first body half.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein bending the first lead comprises bending the first lead via the fastening of the second body half to the first body half; and
wherein bending the second lead comprises bending the second lead via the fastening of the second body half to the first body half.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
forming a first curved portion in the first lead prior to bending the first lead to follow the one or more contours of the first fuse lead guide path via the fastening of the second body h

Assignees

• Astec Int Ltd

Inventors

• Noble Austin M
• Kippley Robert H

Classifications

• H01H2085/207

  Bases adapted to fuses with different end contacts or to other components, e.g. circuit breakers; intermediate adaptation pieces · CPC title

• H01H2085/2085

  Holders for mounting a fuse on a printed circuit · CPC title

• H01H2085/209

  Modular assembly of fuses or holders, e.g. side by side; combination of a plurality of identical fuse units · CPC title

• H01H85/2045

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

• H01H2085/0412

  specially adapted for being mounted on a printed circuit board · CPC title