Fuse box

• US 7,046,115 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Higuchi, Eiji, Shimada, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman, Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US11/174,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 337/180, 337/189, 337/186, 337/187, 337/191, 337/193, 337/251, 337/253, 320/154, 439/754, 439/761, 439/762, 361/833
• US Class Current: 337/193
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/025 Structural association with a binding post of a storage battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/044 General constructions or structure of low voltage fuses, i.e. below 1000 V, or of fuses where the applicable voltage is not specified H01H85/046 - H01H85/048 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/2045 Mounting means or insulating parts of the base, e.g. covers, casings

Abstract

A fuse box includes a lower cover and an upper cover mounted on an intermediate case to form a box. A large-capacity fuse having an input terminal and an output terminal projecting in substantially opposite directions from one side surface of a body of the fuse is accommodated sidelong in the box within the lower cover and the upper cover to make a height of the fuse small. This makes the fuse box compact. The fuse box may be directly mounted on a battery by fixedly mounting it to an upwardly projecting batter post. An input-side bus bar to be accommodated in the box and the input terminal are fixed to each other with a screw, with one end of the input-side bus bar overlapping the input terminal. An output-side bus bar to be accommodated in the box and the output terminal are fixed to each other with a screw, with one end of the output-side bus bar overlapping the output terminal. A connection piece rigidly mounts the fuse box to the battery post.

Claims

1. A fuse box that is mountable on an upper surface of a battery and directly connectable with a battery post of the battery to form an electrical connection, comprising:

the fuse box mountable to the upper surface of the battery;

a battery fuse accommodated in the fuse box having an input terminal and an output terminal;

a battery terminal having a pair of fastening pieces projecting from both ends of a circular arc portion fittable on the battery post;

an input-side bus bar accommodated in the fuse box, the input-side bus bar being fastened to the input terminal of the battery fuse with a bolt;

a connection piece integrally formed on the input-side bus bar that overlaps a side surface of one of the fastening pieces of the battery terminal, the connection piece also being formed with a bolt opening that communicates with a bolt opening of each of the fastening pieces;

the bolt extendible through the bolt openings and a nut fastenable onto the bolt to fasten the connection piece and the fastening pieces together and to fasten the battery terminal onto the battery post; and

an output-side bus bar accommodated in the fuse box, the output-side bus bar being fastened to the output terminal of the battery fuse with another bolt.

2. A fuse box that is mountable on an upper surface of a battery and directly connectable with a battery post of the battery to form an electrical connection, comprising:

the fuse box mountable to the upper surface of the battery;

a battery fuse accommodated in the fuse box having an input terminal and an output terminal;

a battery terminal having fastening pieces projecting from both ends of a circular arc portion fittable on the battery post, wherein each fastening piece has a bolt opening;

an input-side bus bar accommodated in the fuse box, the input-side bus bar being formed continuously with the battery terminal;

a bolt extendible through the bolt opening of each fastening piece and a nut fastenable onto the bolt to fasten the fastening pieces together and to fasten the battery terminal onto the battery post; and

an output-side bus bar accommodated in the fuse box, the output-side bus bar being fastened to the output terminal of the battery fuse with a bolt, wherein the battery terminal, the input terminal and output terminal of the battery fuse, and the input-side bus bar are integrally formed from punching one electrically conductive plate and accommodated inside the fuse box.

3. A fuse box, that is mountable on an upper surface of a battery and directly connectable with a battery post of the battery to form an electrical connection, comprising:

the fuse box mountable to the upper surface of the battery;

a battery fuse accommodated in the fuse box having an input terminal and an output terminal;

a battery terminal having fastening pieces projecting from both ends of a circular arc portion fittable on the battery post, wherein each fastening piece has a bolt opening;

an input-side bus bar accommodated in the fuse box, the input-side bus bar being formed continuously with the battery terminal;

a bolt extendible through the bolt opening of each fastening piece and a nut fastenable onto the bolt to fasten the fastening pieces together and to fasten the battery terminal onto the battery post, wherein the battery terminal, the input terminal and output terminal of the battery fuse, and the input-side bus bar are integrally formed from punching one electrically conductive plate and accommodated inside the fuse box; and

an output-side bus bar, wherein the output terminal of the battery fuse is extended to integrally form the output-side bus bar continuous with the output terminal and the output-side bus bar is accommodated within the fuse box.