Fuse unit

• US 7,176,780 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Iwata, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman; Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US10/977,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20050116806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 337/159, 337/161, 337186-188, 337/227, 337/283, 439/754, 439/761, 439/762, 439/893, 439/620.26, 439/620.27, 361/626, 361/833, 320/154
• US Class Current: 337/188
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2001/5877 with provisions for direct mounting on a battery pole
• 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 85/30 Means for indicating condition of fuse structurally associated with the fuse

Abstract

A fuse unit includes first and second fuse devices. Each of the fuse devices includes a attaching portion to be attached to a battery terminal of a battery, a housing provided on the attaching portion and having a cavity which is opened forward and backward of the housing, and a fuse body having a first end which is electrically connected to the battery terminal and a second end which is covered with the housing to form a wire connection part, the fuse body having a fusible portion which is disposed in the cavity. When the housings are superposed in a direction away from the battery, at least one of the housings and the fuse bodies are constructed so that the fusible portions are checked as viewed in a forward direction of the housings.

Claims

1. A fuse unit, comprising:

a first fuse device, including;

a first attaching portion to be attached to a battery terminal of a battery;

a first housing provided on the first attaching portion and having a first cavity which is opened forward and backward of the first housing; and

a first fuse body having a first end which is electrically connected to the battery terminal and a second end which is covered with the housing to form a wire connection part, the first fuse body having a first fusible portion which is disposed in the first cavity; and

a second fuse device, including;

a second attaching portion to be attached to the battery terminal of the battery;

a second housing provided on the second attaching portion and having a second cavity which is opened forward and backward of the second housing; and

a second fuse body having a first end which is electrically connected to the battery terminal and a second end which is covered with the housing to form a wire connection part, the second fuse body having a second fusible portion which is disposed in the second cavity,

wherein when the first housing and the second housing are superposed in a direction away from the battery, at least one of the first and second housings and the first and second fuse bodies are constructed so that the first and second fusible portions are checked as viewed in a forward direction of the first and second housings.

2. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fusible portion is deviated from the second fusible portion as viewed in the forward direction of the first and second housings.

3. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fuse body include a first fuse having the first fusible portion, the first fuse being disposed in the first cavity;

wherein the second fuse body include a second fuse having the second fusible portion, the second fuse being disposed in the second cavity; and

wherein a position of the first fusible portion with respect to the fist fuse is different from a position of the second fusible portion with respect to the second fuse.

4. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first fuse body include a first fuse having the first fusible portion, the first fuse being disposed in the first cavity;

wherein the second fuse body include a second fuse having the second fusible portion, the second fuse being disposed in the second cavity; and

wherein a position of the fist fuse with respect to the first cavity is different from a position of the second fuse with respect to the second cavity.

5. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein a position of the fist cavity with respect to the first housing is different from a position of the second cavity with respect to the second housing.

6. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the first fuse device and the second fuse device are attached to the battery terminal of the battery, the first housing is superposed to the second housing with an offset.

7. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein a shape of the first cavity is different from that of the second cavity.

8. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein the second housing is further away from the battery than the first housing;

and

wherein a width of an inner face of the second housing defining the second cavity is greater than that of an inner face of the first housing defining the first cavity.

9. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the inner face of the second housing is widened toward a direction toward the second housing from the first housing.

10. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein when the first housing and the second housing are superposed in the direction away from the battery in a state that the second housing further is away from the battery than the first housing, a gap exists between the first housing and the second housing so as to expose the second fusible portion to outside.