Electrical connector for tapping into a fuse block

• US 5,833,497 A
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WirthCo Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WirthCo Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Byfield, Dwight Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khiem
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Eugene G.
• Application Number:
  US08/791,727
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 439/620, 439/621, 439/622
• US Class Current: 439/620.26
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/206 being tappable, e.g. terminals on the fuse or base being arranged so as to permit an additional connector to be engaged therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/0417 with parallel side contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/04 Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/115 U-shaped sockets having inwardly bent legs, e.g. spade type

Abstract

An electrical connector for use with a fuse holding block and a fuse body having conductive contact blades. The electrical connector is an elongated conductive thin member having a shoulder adjacent a first end, an integral tab positioned between the shoulder and the other end, the tab extending at an angle, and a fuse blade contact portion extending from the other end. The thin member is removably attachable to the fuse body with (i) the fuse blade contact portion being in abutting contact with a fuse blade, (ii) an end of the tab being positioned in a channel of the fuse body and abutting a shoulder means of the channel, and (iii) the shoulder of the thin member abutting a top surface of the fuse body head portion.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for use with (1) a fuse holding block having at least one pair of recesses, fuse blade contact means positioned in each of said recesses including means for resiliently contacting a fuse contact blade, and (2) a fuse body having a pair of longitudinally extending electrically conductive contact blades adapted to be removably connected to said fuse block with said blades being respectively and resiliently held in electrical contact with said fuse blade contact means, said fuse body being further characterized by having a head portion with a top surface and opposed flat side surfaces at least one of said surfaces having a longitudinally extending channel substantially aligned with one of said contact blades, a shoulder means being defined at the end of said channel adjacent to said top surface, said electrical connector comprising:

an elongated electrically conductive thin member having at a first end thereof means adapted to connect with an electrical connector, said thin member further including;

a) a shoulder adjacent said first end,

b) an integral tab positioned between said shoulder and the other end of said thin member, said tab extending at an angle to said thin member and having an end, and

c) a fuse blade contact portion extending from said other end of said thin member toward said first end thereof;

said thin member being adapted to be removably attached to said fuse body with;

(i) said fuse blade contact portion being in abutting contact with said one of said blades of said fuse body,

(ii) said end of said tab being positioned in said channel of said fuse body and abutting said shoulder means of said channel, and

(iii) said shoulder of said thin member abutting said top surface of said fuse body head portion,

whereby said elongated thin member may be removably attached to said fuse body and contact blade thereof, as aforesaid, to comprise a subassembly and thereafter inserted into one of said recesses of said fuse holding block with said fuse contact blade and abutted fuse blade contact portion of said thin member being resiliently held in electrical contact with said fuse block fuse blade contact means.

2. Apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said shoulder of said thin member resiliently abutting said top surface of said fuse body head portion.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said thin member having at said first end thereof male connector means adapted to connect with female connector means.

4. Apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said other end of said thin member having a transverse width sized to substantially match the transverse width of said fuse body contact blade.

5. Apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said thin member being thicker at said first end thereof as compared to the thickness of said member at said other end thereof.

6. Apparatus of claim 5 further characterized by said thin member being tapered in thickness from said first end thereof to said other end thereof.

7. Apparatus of claim 5 further characterized by said thin member being tapered along at least a portion of said fuse blade contact portion.

8. Apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by said thin member further including, at said other end thereof, an integral hook-like extension.

9. Apparatus of claim 8 further characterized by said extension being at an angle to the immediately adjacent said other end of said thin member.

10. Apparatus of claim 9 further characterized by said extension having a preselected length so that, when said thin member is assembled with said fuse body and contact blade thereof, as aforesaid, said extension overlies the end of said contact blade.