Fuse holder and fuse holder clip

• US 6,692,315 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mersen France SB SAS (Mersen SA)
• Original Assignee: Ferraz Shawmut (Mersen SA)
• Inventors: Morel, Alain, Soumillon, Olivier, Fiorini, Dominique
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US10/009,525
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 439/830-833, 439/621, 439/622
• US Class Current: 439/830
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/202 for fuses with ferrule type end contacts

Abstract

A fuse-holder clip including two lugs designed to define a space for receiving a fuse cartridge with circular cross-section. The lugs are folded along lines parallel to a central axis of the cartridge when the cartridge is placed in the clip such that each lug forms two electrical and mechanical lines of contact for engaging and supporting the cartridge with the two lines being globally parallel to the axis.

Claims

1. A clip for a fuse-holder for a fuse cartridge comprising;

two lugs extending from a base and spaced to define a space for receiving a fuse cartridge therebetween with circular cross-section, said lugs (21, 22) being folded in directions (A₂₁, C₂₁, D₂₁, A₂₂, C₂₂, D₂₂) parallel to a central axis (X₁) of the cartridge when seated between said two lugs such that they have two electrical and mechanical spaced lines of contact (21a, 21d, 22a, 22d) for engaging and supporting a radial surface of the fuse cartridge in such a manner that portions of said lugs intermediate said spaced lines of contact are spaced outwardly from the radial surface of the fuse cartridge when the fuse cartridge is seated between said two lugs, said spaced lines of contact of said two lugs being parallel to and on opposite sides of the axis of the fuse cartridge when the fuse cartridge is positioned therebetween, and wherein traces of said two electrical and mechanical lines of contact (21a, 21d, 22a, 22d) in a plane perpendicular to the radial surface of the fuse cartridge when seated between said lugs are included in a sector which is centered on a trace or the central axis (X₁) in a sector plane, with an apex angle (γ

) less than 30°

.

2. The clip of claim 1, wherein said apex angle (γ

) is included between 20° and

28°

.

3. The clip of claim 2 wherein said apex angle(γ

)is approximately 24°

.

4. The clip of claim 1 wherein ends (21g, 22g) of said lugs (21, 22) are divergent with respect to a median plane (P) of the clip.

5. The clip of claim 4, wherein an angle of divergence (β

) of said ends (21g, 22g) is included between 16° and

24°

.

6. The clip of claim 5 wherein said angle of divergence is approximately 20°

.

7. The clip of claim 1 wherein each lug includes between said spaced lines of contact (21a, 21d, 22a, 22d) a zone (21b, 22b) deformed outwardly with respect to principal planes (P₂₁, P₂₂) of said lugs.

8. The clip of claim 7, wherein each said deformed zone (21b, 22b) includes two surfaces (21e, 21f, 22d, 22f) inclined with respect to said principal planes (P₂₁, P₂₂) and with respect to one another.

9. The clip of claim 8 including an outer holding spring (7) which is in abutment on said deformed zones (21b, 22b) with respect to said principal planes (P₂₁, P₂₂) of each of said lugs to thereby urge said lugs toward one another.

10. The clip of claim 8, wherein an apex angle (α

) of said deformed zones (21b, 22b) defined by said two inclined surfaces (21e, 21f, 22e, 22f) is included between 80° and

100°

.

11. The clip of claim 10 wherein said apex angle (α

) is approximately 90°

.

12. A clip for a fuse-holder for a fuse cartridge comprising;

two lugs extending from a base and spaced to define a space for receiving a fuse cartridge therebetween with circular cross-section, said lugs (21, 22) being folded in directions (A₂₁, C₂₁, D₂₁, A₂₂, C₂₂, D₂₂) parallel to a central axis (X₁) of the cartridge when seated between said two lugs such that they have two electrical and mechanical spaced lines of contact (21a, 21d, 22a, 22d) for engaging and supporting a radial surface of the fuse cartridge in such a manner that portions of said lugs intermediate said spaced lines of contact are spaced outwardly from the radial surface of the fuse cartridge when the fuse cartridge is seated between said two lugs, and said spaced lines of contact of said two lugs being parallel to and on opposite sides of the axis of the fuse cartridge when the fuse cartridge is positioned therebetween, and each lug includes a generally planar portion extending generally perpendicularly from said base and defining a principal plane (P₂₁, P₂₂) of the lug, and each lug includes, between said spaced lines of contact (21a, 21d, 22a, 22d), a zone (21b, 22b) deformed outwardly with respect to the principal planes (P₂₁, P₂₂) of said lugs.

13. The clip of claim 12 including an outer holding spring (7) which is in abutment on said deformed zones (21b, 22b) with respect to said principal planes (P₂₁, P₂₂) of each of said lugs to thereby urge said lugs toward one another.

14. The clip of claim 12, wherein each said deformed zone (21b, 22b) includes two surfaces (21e, 21f, 22d, 22f) inclined with respect to said principal planes (P₂₁, P₂₂) and with respect to one another.

15. The clip of claim 14, wherein an apex angle (α

) of said deformed zones (21b, 22b) defined by said two inclined surfaces (21e, 21f, 22e, 22f) is included between 80° and

100°

.

16. The clip of claim 15 wherein said apex angle (α

) is approximately 90°

.