Fuse arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9691581-B2
Application number	US-201313763802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2013
Priority date	Feb 10, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A fuse arrangement includes a first safety fuse and a second safety fuse connected electrically in parallel with each other. The fuse arrangement also includes an end plate mechanically coupled to the first and second safety fuses to form a structural unit so that both safety fuses must be inserted/removed to/from an electrical power distribution installation at the same time. Furthermore, the electrical parallel connection of the two safety fuses, rather than a single relatively larger safety fuse, may allow the maximum current strength of an electrical power distribution installation to be maintained while the current is split between the two safety fuses so the size of the fuse arrangement may be reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuse arrangement, comprising:
a first safety fuse having a first contact at a first end of the first safety fuse and a second contact at an opposite second end of the first safety fuse,
a second safety fuse arranged adjacent to the first safety fuse and having a first contact at a first end of the second safety fuse and a second contact at an opposite second end of the second safety fuse, the first and second safety fuses being arranged for an electrically parallel connection, wherein each safety fuse comprises a first contact and a second contact, wherein each first contact comprises a blade contact such that the fuse arrangement includes a pair of first blade contacts configured and arranged relative to each other for insertion into a respective pair of blade contact receptacles of a busbar, and
a conductive or non-conductive end plate mechanically permanently connected to the first end of the first safety fuse and the first end of the second safety fuse to form a permanent structural unit, such that the first safety fuse cannot be individually removed from the permanent structural unit, whereby the structural unit prevents independent insertion of one of the first blade contacts into one of the blade contact receptacles of the busbar without simultaneous insertion of the other first blade contact into the other blade contact receptacle of the busbar, and prevents independent removal of one of the first blade contacts from one of the blade contact receptacles of the busbar without simultaneous removal of the other first blade contact from the other blade contact receptacle of the busbar, and
wherein the respective first contacts of the first and second fuses, and the respective second contacts of the first and second fuses, are electrically connected to a circuit including a current source, and
wherein the respective first ends of the first and second safety fuses are mechanically connected to each other by the end plate, and the respective seconds ends of the first and second safety fuses are mechanically disconnected from each other.

2. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , comprising at least one further safety fuse arranged for an electrically parallel connection with the first safety fuse and the second safety fuse and undetachably connected to the end plate.

3. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second contacts are embodied as blade contacts.

4. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first blade contacts comprises slots.

5. The fuse arrangement of claim 3 , wherein:
each first blade contact comprises a first slot aligned with a first direction, and
each second blade contact comprises a second slot aligned along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

6. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the end plate comprises plastic.

7. A circuit comprising:
a current source, and
a busbar,
a fuse arrangement electrically coupled to the current source, the fuse arrangement comprising:
a first safety fuse,
a second safety fuse arranged adjacent to the first safety fuse,
wherein each of the first and second safety fuses comprises a first contact and a second contact, such that the fuse arrangement includes a pair of first contacts and a pair of second contacts,
wherein the pair of first contacts are arranged adjacent each other and each connected to the busbar via a wire-free plug-type connection, and
a conductive end plate directly and mechanically permanently connected to the first safety fuse and the second safety fuse to provide an electrically parallel connection between the first and second safety fuses and to form a structural unit, such that the first safety fuse cannot be individually removed from the permanent structural unit, whereby upon wire-free plug-type connection of the fuse arrangement to the busbar, the structural unit ensures that both of the first contacts are engaged simultaneously with corresponding connection structures of the busbar.

8. A fuse arrangement, comprising:
a first safety fuse having a first fuse body and a pair of first terminals,
a second safety fuse arranged adjacent to the first safety fuse and having a second fuse body and a pair of second terminals, and
a conductive end plate directly and permanently connected to the first safety fuse and the second safety fuse, with one first terminal of the first safety fuse and one second terminal of the second safety fuse extending beyond the conductive end plate in a direction away from the first and second fuse bodies, wherein the conductive end plate provides an electrically parallel connection between the first and second safety fuses and forms a structural unit with the first and second safety fuses, such that the first safety fuse cannot be individually removed from the permanent structural unit, whereby the structural unit prevents independent connection or disconnection of one of the first and second safety fuses with a busbar without simultaneous connection or disconnection of the other one of the first and second safety fuses with the busbar.

9. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 , comprising at least one further safety fuse electrically connected in parallel to the first safety fuse and the second safety fuse and permanently connected to the end plate.

10. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 , wherein each safety fuse comprises a first contact and a second contact.

11. The fuse arrangement of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contacts are embodied as blade contacts.

12. The fuse arrangement of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the blade contacts comprises slots.

13. The fuse arrangement of claim 12 , wherein:
each first contact comprises a first slot aligned with a first direction, and
each second contact comprises a second slot aligned along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Faltermeier Markus
• Huttinger Robert
• Lohr Thomas
• Schmid Adolf

Classifications

• H01H85/22

  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

• H01H85/24 Primary

  Means for preventing insertion of incorrect fuse · CPC title

• H01H85/153 Primary

  Knife-blade-end contacts · CPC title

• H01H85/12

  Two or more separate fusible members in parallel · CPC title