Fuse holder with fuse release

• US 5,295,850 A
• Filed: 04/19/1993
• Issued: 03/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Challenger Electrical Marterials Incorporated
• Inventors: Copeland, Wendell D., Jeffcoat, Walter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/047,898
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 439/259-270, 439/830-833
• US Class Current: 439/266
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/50 Means for increasing contact pressure, preventing vibration of contacts, holding contacts together after engagement, or biasing contacts to the open position
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/204 for low voltage fuses with knife-blade end contacts

Abstract

The tensioned jaws of a fuse clip are spread by a rotating a pin that rests in a slot in each of the jaws. The pin has opposed flat surfaces that define a position at which the jaws are not spread. The pin has a flange that rests in the slots, holding the pin in a fixed orientation.

Claims

1. A fuse holder comprising a pair of opposed jaws tensioned to receive a fuse terminal, characterized by:

means rotatably mounted between the jaws and accessible from a position above the jaws to spread the jaws to a first separation distance from a second separation distance.

2. A fuse holder according to claim 1, further characterized in that the means has a discrete position associated with the second distance.

3. A fuse holder according to claim 2, further characterized in that the means has a flat surface that is disposed between the jaws when the jaws are at the second distance.

4. A fuse holder according to claim 3, further characterized in that the means comprises a rotational guide that engages a rotational guide on each jaw to maintain the guide means in a fixed vertical orientation between the jaws.

5. A fuse holder according to claim 4, further characterized in that the means comprises a pin extending outward from a location between the jaws with opposed flat surfaces that engage the jaws as the pin is rotated, the pin having at one end a flange and the jaws having opposed slots receiving the flange.

6. A fuse holder comprising a pair of opposed jaws tensioned to receive a fuse terminal, characterized by:

means rotatably mounted between the jaws and accessible from a position above the jaws to spread the jaws to a first separation distance from a second separation distance, the means comprising a pin extending outward from a location between the jaws with opposed flat surfaces that engage the jaws as the pin is rotated, the pin having at one end a flange and the jaws having opposed slots receiving the flange.