Wire in air split fuse with built-in arc quencher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9824842-B2
Application number	US-201615003364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A circuit protection device including a housing having a top section mounted to a bottom section, a first arc barrier extending from the bottom section, a second arc barrier extending from the top section, the top and bottom sections mounted together to define a cavity between the first arc barrier separated a distance from the second arc barrier, a first terminal and a second terminal secured to the bottom section, and a fuse element comprising a body of metallic material arranged in one of a plurality of geometric configurations mounted within the top section and the bottom section of the housing, extending through the first arc barrier and the second arc barrier and connected to the first and second terminals, wherein the first and second arc barriers resist arcing upon activation of the fuse and the fuse element melts upon occurrence of an overcurrent condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuse, comprising:
a housing having a top section mounted to a bottom section;
a first arc barrier defined by a first wall extending from the bottom section;
a second arc barrier defined by a second wall extending from the top section, the top section and the bottom section mounted together to define a cavity within the housing;
a first terminal and a second terminal secured to the bottom section; and
a fuse element comprising a body of metallic material arranged in one of a plurality of geometric configurations mounted within the top section and the bottom section of the housing, the fuse element traversing around the first arc barrier and the second arc barrier and connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the first arc barrier and the second arc barrier resist arcing upon activation of the fuse and the fuse element melts when an overcurrent condition occurs;
wherein each of the first and second terminals has grooves formed in opposing sides thereof, and wherein the bottom section includes tongue portions formed in a top edge thereof, the tongue portions disposed within the grooves.

2. The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the first wall of the first arc barrier extends perpendicularly from the bottom section.

3. The fuse of claim 2 , wherein the first wall of the first arc barrier includes a sloping sidewall and a vertical sidewall, wherein a peak of the first arc barrier supports a portion of the fuse element.

4. The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the second wall of the second arc barrier extends perpendicularly from the top section.

5. The fuse of claim 4 , wherein the second wall of the second arc barrier includes a sloping sidewall and a vertical sidewall, wherein a peak of the second arc barrier supports a portion of the fuse element.

6. The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal is mounted on a first end of the bottom section.

7. The fuse of claim 6 , wherein the first terminal wraps around the first end and is secured to a top portion and a bottom portion of the bottom section.

8. The fuse of claim 6 , wherein the second terminal is mounted on a second end of the bottom section.

9. The fuse of claim 8 , wherein the second terminal wraps around the second end and is secured to a top portion and a bottom portion of the bottom section.

10. The fuse according to claim 1 , further comprising an arc-quenching filler material inside the cavity of the housing.

11. The fuse according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the fuse element is surrounded by air.

12. The fuse of claim 1 , wherein the bottom section further comprises a recessed portion for receiving the top section.

13. The fuse of claim 12 , wherein the recessed portion is positioned around an inner perimeter of the bottom section.

14. The fuse according to claim 12 , wherein the top section further comprises a mounting extension positioned within the recessed portion of the bottom section.

15. The fuse according to claim 1 , wherein a spacing between the first arc barrier and the second arc barrier forms a portion of the cavity of the housing.

16. A fuse, comprising:
a housing having a bottom section and a top section;
first and second terminals secured to each end of the bottom section, a first portion of each terminal extending into an interior of the bottom section and a second portion of each terminal wrapping around an exterior of the bottom section;
a first ramped arc barrier extending from the bottom section and a second ramped arc barrier extending from the top section; and
a fuse element connected between the first and second terminals and traversing a serpentine path between the first and second terminals and using the two ramped arc barriers as support beams, a portion of the fuse element extending from the first ramped arc barrier to the second ramped arc barrier surrounded by air;
wherein each of the first and second terminals has grooves formed in opposing sides thereof, and wherein the bottom section includes tongue portions formed in a top edge thereof, the tongue portions disposed within the grooves.

17. The fuse of claim 16 , wherein a cavity is formed between the top section and the bottom section.

18. The fuse of claim 17 , wherein the cavity includes a first portion between a first terminal and the first arc barrier, a second portion between the first and second arc barriers, and a third portion between the second arc barrier and the second terminal.

19. An apparatus, comprising:
a bottom portion of a housing;
a top portion of the housing;
a first arc barrier extending upward from an inside surface of the bottom portion of the housing;
a second arc barrier extending downward from an inside surface of the top portion of the housing;
a cavity formed between the top and bottom portions of the housing and inside the housing, the first and second arc barriers positioned within the cavity;
a first terminal wrapped around a first end of the bottom portion of the housing;
a second terminal wrapped around a second end of the bottom portion of the housing; and
a fuse element coupled to an upper terminal portion of the first terminal and coupled to an upper terminal portion of the second terminal, the fuse element positioned over the first arc barrier and under the second arc barrier, wherein the upper terminal portions of the first and second terminals are positioned between the top and bottom portions of the housing, wherein the top portion of the housing forms an approximately upper half of the housing and the bottom portion of the housing forms an approximately lower half of the housing, wherein the top portion of the housing further comprises a first open area positioned over the upper terminal portion of the first terminal approximate the coupling of the fuse element to the upper terminal portion of the first terminal and a second open area positioned over the upper terminal portion of the second terminal approximate the coupling of the fuse element to the upper terminal position of the second terminal;
wherein each of the first and second terminals has grooves formed in opposing sides thereof, and wherein the bottom portion of the housing includes tongue portions formed in a top edge thereof, the tongue portions disposed within the grooves.

Assignees

• Littelfuse Inc

Inventors

• Abad Redante
• Aberin Edwin
• Bruan Ped Peterson

Classifications

• H01H2085/383

  with insulating stationary parts · CPC title

• H01H85/165

  Casings · CPC title

• H01H2085/0414

  Surface mounted fuses · CPC title

• H01H85/38 Primary

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

• H01H85/143

  Electrical contacts; Fastening fusible members to such contacts · CPC title