Enclosed plug-in fuse assembly

• US 4,344,060 A
• Filed: 09/19/1980
• Issued: 08/10/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Littelfuse Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Littelfuse Incorporated
• Inventors: Tait, Robert J., Smith, Leonard A., Ciesemier, Allen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Harold
• Application Number:
  US06/188,870
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 337/260, 337/196, 337/212, 337/255, 29/623
• US Class Current: 337/260
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/0417 with parallel side contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49107 Fuse making

Abstract

A fuse assembly comprises a fuse unit and housing therefor made of insulating material and having an initially fully opened side through which said plug-in fuse unit was inserted into said housing. The fuse unit has a pair of spaced, parallel, confronting terminals with portions exposed to the exterior of said housing through spaced openings in the initially fully open side of the housing. A fuse link interconnects other portions of said terminals, the fuse link being positioned to pass by an initially uncovered portion of the initially fully open side of the housing as the fuse unit is inserted into the same. The housing has a closure flap which initially has a position exposing said portion of the initially fully open side of the housing so that the fuse link can pass into the housing therethrough. The flap is folded to cover this open housing portion when the fuse link passes into the housing. A shoulder on at least one of the spaced terminals abuts the folded closure flap when the fuse unit is fully inserted into the housing, which is then anchored to the terminals of the fuse unit.

Claims

1. In a fuse assembly comprising a fuse unit and a housing for said fuse unit made of insulating material and having an initially fully open side through which said plug-in fuse unit was inserted into said housing, said fuse unit having a pair of confronting spaced terminals projecting to the exterior of said housing through spaced openings in said initially fully open side of said housing, and a fuse link interconnecting extensions of said pair of terminals, said fuse link being positioned to pass through the entry portion of said initially fully open side of said housing as the fuse link entered said housing, the improvement wherein said fuse link entry portion of said initially fully open side of said housing is closed between said spaced openings by a closure flap extending from said housing and folded, after at least partial insertion of said fuse unit into said housing, into a position closing said portion of said initially fully open side of said housing, said folded closure flap and the relationship between said terminals of the fuse unit and the housing openings preventing the passage of pieces of blown fuse link to the exterior of the housing, and means for holding said closure flap in the folded condition comprising a shoulder on at least one of the said plug-in fuse unit terminals.

2. The fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said housing has closely spaced, relatively wide main side walls, the margin of which are interconnected by narrow walls on the three sides thereof, said initially fully open side of the housing being defined between the remaining side of said side walls, said terminals of the fuse unit having substantially flat parallel, coplanar configurations.

3. The fuse assembly of claim 2 wherein said main side walls of said housing are staked to said terminal extensions.

4. The base assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein said flap is held in its folded position by shoulders on both of said terminals.

5. A method of making a fuse assembly comprising a fuse unit and a housing therefor made of insulating material and having an initially fully opened side through which said fuse unit can be inserted into said housing, said fuse unit having a pair of spaced, parallel, confronting terminals having portions exposed to the exterior of said housing through said open side of said housing, and a fuse link interconnecting other portions of said terminals, said fuse link being positioned to pass by a portion of said initially fully open side of said housing as the fuse unit is inserted into said housing, said method comprising providing said housing with a closure flap which initially has a position exposing said portion of said initially fully open side of said housing so that said fuse link and the rest of the fuse unit to be enclosed thereby can pass into said housing, said flap being foldable to cover said portion after partial insertion of said fuse unit into the housing;

providing a shoulder on at least one of said spaced terminals which shoulder has a position to abut said closure flap after the flap has been folded to cover said portion of the initially fully open side of said housing immediately after said fuse link passes by said portion thereof, so that said shoulder will hold said closure flap in said folded position when the fuse unit is fully inserted into said housing passing said fuse unit through said initially fully open side of said housing, and folding said flap to cover said housing portion, said shoulder abutting said folded flap to retain it in said folded condition when said fuse unit is fully inserted into said housing and then anchoring said housing to the terminal of said fuse unit.