Fuse unit

• US 9,190,236 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Kibushi, Hidenori, Aoki, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman, Anatoly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crum, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US13/497,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 337/186
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/025 Structural association with a binding post of a storage battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/0555 Input terminal connected to a plurality of output terminals, e.g. multielectrode
• 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 85/20 Bases for supporting the fuse; Separate parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/2045 Mounting means or insulating parts of the base, e.g. covers, casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6273 comprising two latching arms

Abstract

A fuse unit including a fuse element therein includes a first resin body and a second resin body. The second resin body is connected to the first resin body by a hinge portion and configured to be bended around the hinge portion with respect to the first resin body. A pair of first side walls and a pair of second side walls are provided on the first resin body and the second resin body respectively and extend in a direction intersecting an axis of the bending of the second resin body. A pair of engaging parts are provided at the lock arms provided at the first side walls respectively respectively, and each of which has a first inclined face. A pair of engaged parts are provided at the second side walls respectively, and corresponds to the engaging parts respectively, and each of which has a second inclined face configured to contact the first inclined face in surface contact in a state that the second resin body is bended. The first inclined face and the second inclined face are formed along a direction intersecting a direction of a reaction force by springback of the fuse element caused by the bending of the second resin body.

Claims

1. A fuse unit including a fuse element therein, the fuse unit comprising:

a first resin body;

a second resin body bendably attached to the first resin body by a hinge portion such that the second resin body is bendable around the hinge portion with respect to the first resin body in a bended state;

a first opposing wall provided on the first resin body;

a second opposing wall provided on the second resin body and opposing the first opposing wall, so that the hinge portion is disposed between the first opposing wall and the second opposing wall;

a pair of first side walls provided on the first resin body and extending in a direction intersecting an axis of the bending of the second resin body;

a pair of second side walls provided on the second resin body and extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the bending of the second resin body;

a pair of lock arms provided at respective ends of the first side walls closest to the hinge portion;

a pair of engaging parts, provided at the lock arms respectively, and each of which having a first inclined face; and

a pair of engaged parts, provided at a side of the hinge portion in the second side walls respectively, and corresponding to the engaging parts respectively, and each of which having a second inclined face such that in the bended state the first inclined face is in surface contact with the second inclined face,

wherein the first inclined face and the second inclined face are formed along a direction being substantially perpendicular to a direction of a reaction force by springback of the fuse element caused by the bending of the second resin body,

wherein in the bended state, the first inclined face and the second inclined face are flush with each other such that the first inclined face is locked to the second inclined face, and

wherein a majority of the first inclined face is flush with a majority of the second inclined face, and

wherein the first inclined face and the second inclined face are diagonal to the pair of first side walls and the pair of second side walls.

2. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each of the engaging parts is a lock projection;

each of the engaged parts is a protrusion; and

the lock projection and the protrusion contact each other and slide according to the bending of the second resin body.

3. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the lock arms have flexibility; and

the lock arms are deformed outward of the first side walls according to the bending of the second resin body.

4. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

an imaginary straight line parallel to the first inclined face and extended from the first inclined face intersects the axis of the bending of the second resin body in a state that the first inclined face is in surface contact with the second inclined face.

5. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the first resin body and the second resin body form a substantially L-shape in a state that the first inclined face is in surface contact with the second inclined face.

6. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

bending of the second resin body with respect to the first resin body is stopped, by a contact between the pair of engaging parts and the pair of engaged parts, before forming an L-shape in a state that the first inclined face is in surface contact with the second inclined face.

7. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

in a non-bended state where the second resin body is not bent around the hinge portion with respect to the first resin body, the first inclined face is arranged at an acute angle, between the first inclined face and a closest one of the pair of first side walls, with respect to a longitudinal direction of one of the pair of first side walls as a ray of the acute angle and the first inclined face as another ray of the acute angle,

in the non-bended state, the second inclined face is arranged at an obtuse angle, between the second inclined face and the one of the pair of first side walls, with respect to the longitudinal direction as a ray of the obtuse angle and the second inclined face as another ray of the obtuse angle, and

the one of the pair of first side walls is the closest of the pair of first side walls to both of the first inclined face and the second inclined face.

8. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

the acute angle and the obtuse angle are supplementary angles with respect to each other.

9. The fuse unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

in a non-bended state where the second resin body is not bent around the hinge portion with respect to the first resin body, the pair of first side walls are parallel to the pair of second side walls,

a two-dimensional (2D) plane is formed with a longitudinal direction of any one wall of the first side walls and the second side walls as an axis of the 2D plane and a longitudinal direction of the hinge portion, perpendicular to the any one wall, as a second axis of the 2D plane,

the pair of engaging parts and the pair of engaged parts are over the 2D plane, with respect to a third axis perpendicular to the 2D plane, and

the pair of engaging parts extends towards each other and the pair of engaged parts extend towards each other along respective axes which are each parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hinge.