Fuse assembly having a non-sagging suspended fuse link
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a fuse assembly for interrupting a current flowing therethrough upon certain high current conditions, said assembly including:
- a housing made of electrically insulating material and having a space therein;
a conductive fuse-forming element secured in said housing including a pair of terminals that are adapted to be connected into a circuit; and
a fuse link connected between said terminals and suspended in said space without support between end portions thereof so that it can sag against the housing walls when softened below the blowing temperature, and said link having a hot spot portion along its length at which said link is expected to blow under said high current conditions as a result of high temperature effected melting caused by said high current condition in said link, the improvement wherein said link includes fuse blowing current-reducing material spaced from and on opposite sides of said hot spot portion of the fuse link in the region of the fuse where sagging is expected, the spacing of said material being such as to inhibit the softening and sagging tendency of the unsupported portions of the fuse link prior to the desired blowing thereof
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Abstract
A fuse assembly has a fuse link extending suspended in a housing between a pair of terminal extensions, which the fuse link interconnects electrically. A fuse blowing current-reducing material like tin is carried on the fuse link and spaced from and on opposite sides of the hot spot of the fuse link where the fuse is expected to blow.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. In a fuse assembly for interrupting a current flowing therethrough upon certain high current conditions, said assembly including:
- a housing made of electrically insulating material and having a space therein;
a conductive fuse-forming element secured in said housing including a pair of terminals that are adapted to be connected into a circuit; and a fuse link connected between said terminals and suspended in said space without support between end portions thereof so that it can sag against the housing walls when softened below the blowing temperature, and said link having a hot spot portion along its length at which said link is expected to blow under said high current conditions as a result of high temperature effected melting caused by said high current condition in said link, the improvement wherein said link includes fuse blowing current-reducing material spaced from and on opposite sides of said hot spot portion of the fuse link in the region of the fuse where sagging is expected, the spacing of said material being such as to inhibit the softening and sagging tendency of the unsupported portions of the fuse link prior to the desired blowing thereof - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15)
- a housing made of electrically insulating material and having a space therein;
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2. In a plug-in fuse assembly for interrupting a current flowing therethrough upon certain high current conditions, said assembly including:
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a housing made of electrically insulating material and having an inner space open to one side thereof and having relatively closely spaced side walls defining cavities forming a fuse link-receiving chamber and relatively narrow passages on opposite sides of said chamber; and a conductive plug-in fuse-forming element having a pair of confronting, spaced terminal blade portions respectively projecting from said housing through said open side, a pair of extensions of said terminal blade portions in said passages and a fuse link in said chamber suspended in said chamber between said extensions and spaced from said side walls to electrically interconnect the pair of extensions and their related projecting terminal blade portions, said link being adapted to carry said current flow from one terminal blade portion and its related extension to the other terminal blade portion and its related extension, and said link having a hot spot portion along its length at which said fuse link is expected to blow under certain high current conditions as a result of high temperature effected melting of the fuse link material caused by said certain high current conditions in said fuse link, wherein the improvement comprises said fuse link including fuse blowing current-reducing material spaced from and on opposite sides of said hot spot portion of the fuse link in the region of the fuse where sagging is expected, the spacing of said material being such as to inhibit the softening and sagging tendency of the unsupported portions of the fuse link prior to the desired blowing thereof. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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3. A fuse link to be suspended between a spaced apart pair of extensions of terminals that are to be connected in a current carrying circuit to electrically interconnect said terminals and extensions and said fuse link further being adapted to be suspended in a chamber of a housing that is made of electrically insulating material with the fuse link spaced from walls of said housing, said fuse link comprising:
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a link of fuse metal having a hot spot portion along its length at which said link is expected to blow under certain high temperature conditions as a result of high current conditions flowing through said link, and fuse blowing current-reducing material on said link and spaced from and on opposite sides of the hot spot portion of said link, the spacing of said material being such as to inhibit the softening and sagging tendency of the unsupported portions of the fuse link prior to the desired blowing thereof. - View Dependent Claims (7, 9, 11)
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6. The fuse assembly or fuse link of claim in which said plugs have heads overlapping said link to fasten the plugs in the openings.
Specification