Electricity: electrothermally or thermally actuated switches – Electrothermally actuated switches – Fusible element actuated
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-07
2004-05-11
Vortman, Anatoly (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrothermally or thermally actuated switches
Electrothermally actuated switches
Fusible element actuated
C337S231000, C337S234000, C337S252000, C337S260000, C439S620180, C439S890000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06734780
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuse assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle as a moving body, there are various transmission lines for transmitting electric power, signals and so on, such as busbars contained in an electricity connection box such as a junction block, relay box, fuse block, terminals of electrical connector, etc.
In the above described transmission lines, there have been used fuse blocks provided with a number of detachable fuses for protecting electric circuits of various types of electric equipments from breakdown. Since the fuse block may include relays and busbars, the fuse block is also called as a relay box or a junction block, or generally called as an electricity connection box. In this specification, the fuse block, relay box, junction box will be hereinafter called as the connection box in general.
Conventionally, a fuse assembly
51
as shown in
FIG. 4
has been used as the fuse to be used in the connection box. As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
, the fuse assembly
51
consists of a pair of terminals
52
arranged in parallel to each other, a housing
54
which contains one end portions
53
of these terminals
52
, and a fusible body
55
integrally formed with the terminals
52
and bridging the terminals
52
.
Each of the terminals
52
is a blade-like member as shown in FIG.
5
and formed of electro-conductive metal. A plurality of through holes
56
are formed in the terminals
52
so as to extend through a matrix composing the terminals
52
. The terminals
52
illustrated in
FIGS. 4 and 5
are respectively provided with two through holes
56
arranged in a longitudinal direction. The two through holes
56
are provided both in middle parts
57
of the respective terminals
52
and at positions adjacent to the one end portion
53
thereof.
Respective other end portions
58
of the terminals
52
are electrically connected to receiving terminals or so in the aforesaid connection box, when the fuse assembly
51
is contained in the connection box. One of the receiving terminals is supplied with power from an electric source or so, while various loads are electrically connected to the other of the receiving terminals.
Accordingly, one of the terminals
52
is supplied with the power through the receiving terminal, while, to the other of the terminals
52
, are connected the various loads. The one end portions
53
of the terminals
52
are contained in the housing
54
in a state where their inner faces
61
are opposed to each other.
The housing
54
is formed in a box-like shape and molded of insulating synthetic resin. The housing
54
defines therein a cavity for containing the one end portions
53
of the terminals
52
. The housing
54
is provided with projections (not shown) which are adapted to be respectively engaged in the aforesaid through holes
56
. When the projections are brought into engagement with the through holes
56
, the terminals
52
are fixed to the housing
54
.
The fusible body
55
interconnects the terminals
52
, as shown in FIG.
5
. Both ends of the fusible body
55
are respectively connected to the inner faces
61
of the terminals
52
located at the middle parts
57
of the terminals
52
. The fusible body
55
has a fuse portion
62
which is adapted to be fused when amperage of the electric power supplied through one of the terminals
52
has exceeded a threshold value. The fuse portion
62
is formed by designing a middle part of the fusible body
55
to be smaller in its sectional area.
The fuse assembly
51
having the above described structure and installed in the connection box is adapted to stop the supply of the electric power to the aforesaid loads, as the fuse portion
62
is fused when the amperage of the power supplied to one of the terminals
52
via the aforesaid one of the receiving terminals has exceeded the threshold value.
In the conventional fuse assembly
51
as illustrated in
FIG. 4
, the fusible body
55
is connected to the middle parts
57
of the terminals
52
. For this reason, when the fusible body
55
is heated by an overcurrent, the heat generated in the fusible body
55
is easily conducted to the other end portions
58
of the terminals
52
.
In other words, in the conventional fuse assembly
51
, the heat generated in the fusible body
55
has been likely to be conducted to the receiving terminals in the connection box as an external apparatus which are connected to the terminals
52
. When the heat has been conducted to the receiving terminals, a casing of the connection box formed of insulating synthetic resin or the like may be undesirably deformed.
Moreover, because in the conventional fuse assembly
51
, the through holes
56
are formed in the terminals
52
, the fusible body
55
, especially the fuse portion
62
is likely to vibrate due to vibrations or a sudden acceleration during driving, etc. of an automobile in which the connection box is installed.
Particularly, in case where the fusible body
55
is heated, there has been a fear that the fusible body
55
may be broken as a result of fatigue failure which has occurred at jointed parts with the terminals
52
due to the above described vibrations or so. In this case, the fusible body
55
will be detached from the terminals
52
. As described, in the conventional fuse assembly
51
, even though the amperage of the power supplied to one of the terminals
52
has not exceeded the threshold value, the electrical connection between the pair of the terminals
52
may sometimes be interrupted.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fuse assembly in which the heat conducted to the equipments connected to the terminals can be restrained, and which is free from interruption of the electrical connection between the terminals in case where the amperage is not above the value at which the fusible body is fused.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above described object, there is provided, according to the present invention, a fuse assembly comprising a pair of terminals which are arranged in parallel to each other, a housing having a cavity for containing one end portions of the terminals, and a fusible body interconnecting the terminals, wherein the fuse assembly is provided with anchoring parts for mounting the fusible body to the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, each of the anchoring parts includes a through hole passing through the fusible body, and a projection projected from an inner wall of the housing defining the cavity, the projection being adapted to be engaged in the through hole.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the fusible body includes supporting portions which are respectively connected to end faces positioned at the one end portions of the terminals, and the through holes being formed in the supporting portions.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, the fuse assembly further includes second anchoring parts for respectively mounting the terminals to the housing, and the through holes are provided at ends of the supporting portions remote from the end faces of the terminals.
According to the first aspect of the invention, because the fusible body is fixed to the housing by means of the anchoring parts, the heat generated in the fusible body is conducted to the housing via the anchoring parts, and the fusible body will not easily vibrate when subjected to vibrations or sudden acceleration of an automobile.
According to the second aspect of the invention, because the anchoring parts include the through holes passing through the fusible body and the projections to be engaged in the through holes, the heat generated in the fusible body is conducted to the housing by way of the through holes and the projections, and the fusible body can be more reliably fixed to the housing.
According to the third aspect of the invention, because the through holes are provided in the supporting portion of the fusible body connected to the end faces of the terminal
Endo Takayoshi
Kondo Hiroki
Nakamura Goro
Sato Takahiro
Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP
Vortman Anatoly
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