Electrical connectors – Including vibration cushioning or absorbing means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-29
2001-03-27
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including vibration cushioning or absorbing means
C439S801000, C439S474000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206718
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Description of Related Art
In an electrical installation system on a vehicle, when electrical loads, such as a power window, has any malfunction or when a wire harness composed of a plurality of electrical wires connecting a battery with respective loads has any trouble, the system generally operates to melt a fuse for great current interposed between the battery and the wire harness. As a result, the connection between the battery and the wire harness is broken to prevent respective loads, wire harness, etc. from being damaged.
In the above-mentioned electrical installation system, however, the great current fuse does not melt unless the current in excess of a predetermined allowable value flows through the fuse in spite of the occurrence of the above abnormalities. Therefore, there are a variety of protecting devices under development, which can detect the continuous flowing of a large current close to the allowable value and further break the connection between the battery and the wire harness.
In these protecting devices,
FIG. 1
is a longitudinal sectional view showing one protecting device using a bimetal. The shown protecting device is made of insulating resin and others and comprises the following elements: a housing
103
provided, on its upper side, with a fuse container
102
; a lid
113
closing the fuse container
102
of the housing
103
; a power terminal
105
disposed in the lower side of the housing
103
and having its upper end projecting into the container
102
and the exposed lower end connected to a positive (+) terminal of a battery
104
; a load terminal
109
also disposed in the lower side of the housing
103
and having its upper end projecting into the container
102
and the exposed lower end connected to a load
108
through a wire
107
forming a wire harness
106
; a soluble member
110
constituted by low-melting point metals in the container
102
and having one end connected to the upper end of the power terminal
105
and the other end connected to the upper end of the load terminal
109
; an intermediate terminal
111
disposed in the lower side of the housing
103
to take a middle position between the power terminal
105
and the load terminal
109
and having the terminal's exposed lower end connected to a negative (−) terminal of the battery
104
; and a bimetal
112
formed to be a long plate member consisting of two different glued metals and also having a lower end connected to the upper end of the intermediate terminal
111
and the upper end bent in a L-shaped manner to face the soluble member
110
.
Under condition that the current flows in order of the positive terminal of the battery
104
, the power terminal
105
, the soluble member
110
, the load terminal
109
, the wire
107
of the wire harness
106
, the load
108
and the negative terminal of the battery
104
upon the manipulation of an ignition switch of the vehicle etc., when any trouble arises in either the load
108
or the wire harness
106
connecting the load
108
with the protection device
101
so that the current exceeding the allowable value flows through the soluble member
110
, it is heated and molten off to protect the load
108
and the wire harness
106
.
Alternatively, even when the current does not exceed the allowable value despite a great current flowing through the soluble member
110
due to any abnormality in either the load
108
or the wire harness
106
connecting the load
108
with the protection device
101
, the soluble member
110
is still heated by the current flowing therethrough, so that the bimetal
112
begins to be deformed. At a point of time when a predetermined period has passed since the great current began to flow through the soluble member
110
, the tip of the bimetal
112
finally comes into contact with the soluble member
110
, so that a large short-circuit current flows through the soluble member
110
in the following order of the positive terminal of the battery
104
, the power terminal
105
, the soluble member
110
, the load terminal
109
, the wire
107
of the wire harness
106
, the load
108
and the negative terminal of the battery
104
and finally, the soluble member
110
is broken off in heat.
In this way, even when the current less than the allowable value continues to flow in excess of the predetermined period, the circuit is broken off thereby to protect the wire harness
106
and the load
108
.
Besides the above protecting device
101
, another protecting device
121
shown in
FIG. 2
has been under development.
The shown protecting device
121
includes the following elements: a housing
122
made of insulating resin or the like; a power terminal
124
embedded in one side of the housing
122
and having the terminal's lower end connected to a positive (+) terminal of a battery
123
; a load terminal
128
also embedded in the other side of the housing
122
and having the terminal's lower end connected to a load
127
through a wire
126
forming a wire harness
125
; a wire
131
consisting of an U-shaped soluble lead
129
of low-melting point metals etc. and a heat resistant cover
130
covering the lead
129
, and also having one end connected to the upper end of the power terminal
124
and the other end connected to the upper end of the load terminal
128
; a coil
132
of shape-memory alloy, which is previously memorized in its shape so as to wind around the wire
131
when the coil
132
is in the phase of martensite, whereas fasten the wire
131
in the mother phase when heated up to 120-170° C.; and an exterior terminal
133
arranged outside the housing
122
and having the terminal's upper end connected to one end of the coil
133
and the other end connected to a negative (−) terminal of a battery
123
.
Under condition that the current flows in order of the positive terminal of the battery
123
, the power terminal
124
, the soluble lead
129
of the wire
131
, the load terminal
128
, the wire
126
of the wire harness
125
, the load
127
and the negative terminal of the battery
123
as a result of manipulating the ignition switch etc. and if any trouble arises in either the load
127
or the wire harness
125
connecting the load
127
with the protection device
121
so that the current exceeding the allowable value flows through the soluble lead
129
, then it is heated and molten off to protect the load
127
and the wire harness
125
etc.
Alternatively, even if the current does not exceed the allowable value despite a great current flowing through the soluble lead
129
due to any abnormality in either the load
127
or the wire harness
125
connecting the load
127
with the protection device
121
, the soluble lead
129
is still heated by the current flowing therethrough, so that the temperature of the coil
132
rises. When the temperature of the coil
132
reaches 120-170° C. as a result of passage of a predetermined period since the great current began to flow through the soluble lead
129
, the coil
132
transfers from the martensite phase to the mother phase and encroaches on the heat resistant covert
130
being softened by heat. As a result, the coil
132
comes into electrical contact with the soluble lead
129
, so that a large short-circuit current flows through the soluble member
110
in the sequent course of the positive terminal of the battery
123
, the power terminal
124
, the soluble lead
129
, the coil
132
, the exterior terminal
133
and the negative terminal of the battery
123
and finally, the soluble lead
129
is broken off in heat.
In this way, even when the current less than the allowable value continues to flow in excess of the predetermined period, the circuit is broken off to protect the wire harness
125
and the load
127
.
Nevertheless, the above-mentioned protecting devices
101
,
121
Takahashi Hideo
Yamaguchi Noboru
Bradley Paula
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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