Forced-fusion fuse and circuit breaker

• US 6,243,245 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Totsuka, Mitsuhiko, Nakamura, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US09/260,503
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 361/103, 361/105, 361/104, 361/115, 361/93.1
• US Class Current: 361/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/466 with remote controlled forced fusing
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/06 characterised by the fusible material H01H85/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/46 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the protective device

Abstract

A forced-fusion fuse has a casing, a heat generating material within the casing, a resistance wire for inducing a heat generation reaction to occur in the heat generating material, and a fusion member that is fused by the generation of heat from the heat generating material. When some damage or other has been caused to a wire harness or there is the fear that an impairment will occur therein as when the wire harness has been slight short-circuited, some abnormality or other has occurred in a load connected to the wire harness, or an automobile has collided with another automobile, the sensor unit senses this to thereby output an abnormality detection signal. A controller, upon receipt of the abnormality detection signal, causes the generation of heat in the resistance wire of the forced-fusion fuse. A heat generation reaction is induced, by the generation of heat in the resistance wire, to occur in the heat generating material, whereby the fusion member is fused by the heat generated from the heat generating material.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker comprising:

a forced-fusion fuse including a casing, a heat generating material within the casing, inducing means for inducing a heat generation reaction to occur in the heat generating material and a fusion member that is fused by the generation of heat in the heat generating material, the fusion member connecting a battery and electric parts of an automobile;

a sensor for sensing an abnormal state in which it is necessary to stop the supply of power from the battery to the electric parts of the automobile to thereby output an abnormality detection signal, and

a controller which when an abnormality detection signal has been output from the sensor operates the inducing means, whereby a heat generation reaction is induced to occur in the heat generating material by the inducing means; and

the fusion member is fused by the generation of heat from the heat generating material to thereby inapt the current between the battery and the electric parts of the automobile.

2. A fuse for disabling an electrical circuit, the fuse comprising:

a casing;

a first fuse terminal having a first portion arranged in the casing;

a second fuse terminal having a second portion arranged in the casing;

a fuse member connecting the first portion and the second portion;

a heat generating material surrounding one of the first portion and the second portion, the heat generating material being within said casing; and

an activation element for triggering a reaction in the heat generating material, whereby said reaction causes the fuse member to fuse and prevents flow of current through the fuse.

3. The fuse according to claim 2, wherein the activation element comprises:

a first heater terminal;

a second heater terminal;

and a electrical wire connecting the first heater terminal to the second heater terminal, the electrical wire being disposed within said heat generating material.

4. The fuse according to claim 2, wherein the activation element comprises:

a first heater terminal having a positive electrode disposed within said heat generating material;

a second heater terminal having a negative electrode disposed within said heat generating material;

whereby an arc discharge may occur between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to trigger the reaction of the heat generation material.

5. The fuse according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the fuse further comprises a controller, said controller induces a current to flow between the first heater terminal and the second heater terminal.

6. The fuse according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the activation element is arranged within the heat generating material.

7. A circuit breaker comprising:

a fuse including a casing, a first fuse terminal having a first portion arranged in the casing, a second fuse terminal having a second portion arranged in the casing, a fuse member connecting the first portion and the second portion to allow electricity to flow from a battery to electrical parts of an automobile, a heat generating material surrounding one of the first portion and the second portion, the heat generating material being within said casing, and an activation element for triggering a reaction in the heat generating material, whereby said reaction causes the fuse member to fuse preventing flow of current through the fuse;

a sensor for sensing an abnormal state necessitating stopping the flow of electricity from the battery to electrical parts of an automobile; and

a controller for activating the activation element upon detection of a signal from the senor causing the fuse member to fuse.

8. The circuit breaker according to claim 7, wherein the activation element includes a first heater terminal, a second heater terminal, and a electrical wire connecting the first heater terminal to the second heater terminal, the electrical wire being disposed within said heat generating material.

9. The circuit breaker according to claim 8, wherein the activation element includes a first heater terminal having a positive electrode disposed within said heat generating material and a second heater terminal having a negative electrode disposed within said heat generating material, whereby an arc discharge may occur between the positive electrode and the negative electrode triggering the reaction of the heat generation material.