High-current fuse with endbell assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016268089-A1
Application number	US-201615164255-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuse including a fuse body defining an inner cavity and having at least one fuse body aperture formed therethrough, a fuse element including a first terminal and a second terminal, a first endbell and a second endbell coupled to the fuse element, the first endbell having at least two grooves formed in a surface thereof and having a first O-ring seal disposed in at least one of the grooves, the second endbell having at least two grooves formed in a surface thereof and having a second O-ring seal disposed in at least one of the grooves, an adhesive securing the first and second endbells to the fuse body, an arc quenching material disposed within the inner cavity and contacting at least a portion of the fuse element, and end caps coupled to the fuse body, the end caps sealing a portion of the fuse element within the fuse body.

First claim

1 . A fuse, comprising:
a fuse body defining an inner cavity and having at least one fuse body aperture formed therethrough; a fuse element including a first terminal and a second terminal, a portion of the fuse element disposed within the inner cavity, the first terminal and the second terminal extending outside of the fuse body; a first endbell and a second endbell coupled to the fuse element, the first endbell having at least two grooves formed in a surface thereof and having a first O-ring seal disposed in at least one of the grooves, the second endbell having at least two grooves formed in a surface thereof and having a second O-ring seal disposed in at least one of the grooves; an adhesive securing each of the first endbell and the second endbell to the fuse body; an arc quenching material disposed within the inner cavity, the arc quenching material contacting at least a portion of the fuse element; and end caps coupled to the fuse body, the end caps sealing a portion of the fuse element within the fuse body.

2 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the first and second O-ring seals engage an interior of the fuse body and provide seals intermediate the first and second endbells and the fuse body.

3 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is disposed in one of the at least two grooves in each of the first and second endbells that does not contain an O-ring seal.

4 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the at least two grooves in the first endbell include an innermost groove and an outermost groove, the innermost groove being located nearer a longitudinal center of the fuse body relative to the outermost groove, wherein the at least two grooves in the second endbell include an innermost groove and an outermost groove, the innermost groove being located nearer a longitudinal center of the fuse body relative to the outermost groove, and wherein the first and second O-ring seals are disposed within the outermost grooves of the first and second endbells.

5 . The fuse of claim 1 , further comprising a first arc barrier disposed intermediate the first endbell and the arc quenching material and a second arc barrier disposed intermediate the second endbell and the arc quenching material.

6 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the first endbell is coupled to the first terminal and the second endbell is coupled to the second terminal.

7 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the first endbell and the second endbell each include a first endbell section and a second endbell section, the first endbell section and the second endbell section coupled together to form a chamfered joint.

8 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the first endbell and the second endbell are cup-shaped.

9 . The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the fuse element and the first endbell and the second endbell within the fuse body form a three-zone fuse, a first zone including at least a liquid adhesive, a second zone including at least the arc quenching material, and a third zone including at least the liquid adhesive, the second zone is between the first zone and the third zone.

10 . The fuse of claim 9 , wherein the first endbell is positioned in the first zone, the second endbell is positioned in the third zone, and a center element of the fuse element is positioned in the second zone, the fuse element traversing through the first zone, the second zone, and the third zone.

11 . A fuse comprising:
a fuse element including a fuse body formed of metallic material including a first strip and a second strip arranged in one of a plurality of geometric configurations, the fuse body further including a set of electrically conductive bridges interconnecting adjacent portions of the first strip and the second strip, the set of electrically conductive bridges electrically connecting the first strip and the second strip; a first terminal and a second terminal coupled to the fuse element; a first endbell and a second endbell coupled to the fuse element; a hollow fuse tube having a first and second fuse body apertures formed therethrough, the hollow fuse tube housing a portion of the fuse element and the first and second endbells, the first endbell having a first groove formed in a surface thereof and having a first O-ring seal disposed in the first groove, the second endbell having a second groove formed in a surface thereof and having a second O-ring seal disposed in the second groove, the first and second grooves of the first and second endbells being aligned with the first and second fuse body apertures, respectively; an arc quenching material disposed between the first endbell and the second endbell within the hollow fuse tube, the arc quenching material surrounding at least a portion of the fuse element, wherein the arc quenching material occupies less than a total volume of the hollow fuse tube; and a first arc barrier disposed intermediate the first endbell and the arc quenching material and a second arc barrier disposed intermediate the second endbell and the arc quenching material.

12 . The fuse of claim 11 , wherein the grooves in which the O-ring seals are disposed have widths that are greater than widths of the O-ring seals disposed within them.

13 . The fuse of claim 11 , wherein the first endbell and the second endbell each include a first endbell section and a second endbell section that are coupled together, wherein the first endbell and the second endbell are cup-shaped, and wherein the first endbell and the second endbell include a chamfered joint.

14 . The fuse of claim 11 , wherein:
the first endbell further includes a third groove disposed inward from the first groove along a longitudinal axis of the fuse body; and the second endbell further includes a fourth groove disposed inward from the second groove along the longitudinal axis of the fuse body.

15 . The fuse of claim 14 , wherein a third O-ring seal is disposed in the third groove on the first endbell, and a fourth O-ring seal is disposed in the fourth groove on the second endbell.

16 . The fuse of claim 11 , wherein adhesive is disposed in the grooves of the first and second endbells and adheres the first and second endbells to the fuse body.

17 . A method of manufacturing a fuse comprising:
providing a fuse element having a first end and a second end, a first terminal electrically connected to the first end and a second terminal electrically connected to the second end; coupling a first endbell to the first end of the fuse element and coupling a second endbell to the second end of the fuse element, the first endbell having at least two grooves formed in a surface thereof and having a first O-ring seal disposed in at least one of the grooves, the second endbell having at least two grooves formed in a surface thereof and having a second O-ring seal disposed in at least one of the grooves; inserting the fuse element into a hollow fuse tube having an inner cavity and at least two fuse body apertures formed therethrough, the first and second O-ring seals engaging an interior of the hollow fuse tube; filling the hollow fuse tube with an amount of arc quenching material; and fastening end caps onto ends of the hollow fuse tube.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further including injecting, via the at least two fuse body apertures, an adhesive into one of the at least two grooves in each of the first and second endbells that does not contain an O-ring seal to adhere the first and second endbells to the hollow fuse tube.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least two grooves in the first endbell include an inner

Assignees

• Littelfuse Inc

Inventors

• Schlaak Michael
• Stumpo Gregory
• Venhaus Ken
• Lasini Derek

Classifications

• H01H69/02

  Manufacture of fuses · CPC title

• H01H85/10

  with constriction for localised fusing (H01H85/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01H85/38

  Means for extinguishing or suppressing arc (by powder filling H01H85/18; by mechanical tension applied to fusible member H01H85/36) · CPC title

• H01H85/18

  Casing fillings, e.g. powder · CPC title

• H01H2085/388

  using special materials · CPC title