Fuse box

Details Fuse box Fuse box

2001-08-13

2003-04-22

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With circuit component or comprising connector which fully...

Connector includes or covers additional component

C439S830000, C439S811000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06551141

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fuse box and, more particularly, to such a fuse box that is easy to install and that keeps the electric wires positively in the connected position when installed.
FIGS. 9 and 10
show a fuse box according to the prior art. According to this design, the electric wire
77
is inserted into a wire hole
72
of the distribution block
7
, and a pointed screw rod
73
is threaded into a screw hole
71
of the distribution block
7
to hold down the core
78
of the electric wire
77
. This design has drawbacks. Because the tightening up screw sues its pointed tip to hold down the core of the electric wire, the electric wire tends to be pulled away from the wire distribution block. Further, much driving force must be employed to the tightening up screw during installation, and the core of the electric wire tends to be broken when driving the tightening up screw into the screw hole of the wire distribution block to hold down the core of the electric wire.
FIGS. 11 and 12
show another structure of fuse box according to the prior art. According to this design, the wire distribution block
8
has a tapered wire hole
82
and an inner thread
81
around the orifice of the tapered wire hole
82
. A wire clamp
83
is mounted on the core
88
of the electric wire
87
and inserted with the core
88
of the electric wire
87
into the tapered wire hole
82
. The wire clamp
83
has longitudinal splits
831
. A connector
84
is mounted on the electric wire
87
and fastened to the tapered wire hole
82
to force the wire clamp
83
into engagement with the periphery of the core
88
of the electric wire
87
. The connector
84
has one end terminating in a screw tube
841
and threaded into the inner thread
81
of the wire distribution block
8
, and an opposite end terminating in a plurality of equiangularly spaced clamping strips
843
. The clamping strips
843
have outer threads
842
and inner ribs
844
. When threading the screw tube
841
into the inner thread
81
of the wire distribution block
8
, the wire clamp
83
is forced by the connector
84
into the inside of the tapered wire hole
82
, thereby causing the wire clamp
83
to be radially inwardly forced by the tapered peripheral wall of the tapered wire hole
82
into engagement with the periphery of the core
88
of the electric wire
87
. Further, a lock nut
86
is threaded onto the outer threads
842
of the clamping strips
843
of the connector
84
, forcing the inner rids
844
of the clamping strips
83
into engagement with the electrically insulative shell of the electric wire
87
. This design is complicated. Because many component parts are used, the manufacturing cost of this design of fuse box is expensive. Further, the installation procedure of this design of fuse box is also complicated.
Further, in the aforesaid prior art fuse boxes, metal fuse clamps
76
;
89
are respectively welded to the wire distribution blocks
7
;
8
, and adapted to receive the terminals
751
;
851
of fuses
75
;
85
. These metal fuse clamps
76
;
89
provide less clamping force to the terminals
751
;
851
of installed fuses
75
;
85
, and installed fuses
75
;
85
tend to be forced out of position accidentally. Furthermore, because fuses
75
;
85
are to be installed in the top cover
74
;
9
of the fuse box in vertical, much vertical installation space is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a fuse box, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. According to one aspect of the present invention, the fuse box comprises a mount, a plurality of wire distribution blocks respectively fixedly mounted on the mount, the wire distribution blocks including one power input distribution and a plurality of power output distribution blocks, a plurality of metal wire clips respectively mounted in the wire distribution blocks and adapted to secure the core of a respective electric wire, the metal wire clips each comprising two horizontal clamping walls horizontally disposed at different elevations and having a respective serrated portion for engaging the electrically insulative shell of an electric wire, and two vertical support walls bilaterally disposed between the horizontal clamping walls and defining with the horizontal clamping walls a receiving space adapted to receive the core of an electric wire, and a plurality of tightening up screws respectively threaded into a respective screw hole in the wire distribution blocks to force the serrated portions of the metal wire clips into engagement with the electrically insulative shell of the respective electric wires being inserted into the wire distribution blocks. According to another aspect of the present invention, the wire distribution blocks each have at least one oblique insertion slot and a respective metal spring plate mounted in each oblique insertion slot and adapted to receive the terminals of fuses positively.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4070086 (1978-01-01), Trafford
patent: 4550965 (1985-11-01), Izraeli
patent: 5328392 (1994-07-01), Lin et al.
patent: 5551894 (1996-09-01), Lin et al.
patent: 5664971 (1997-09-01), Coy
patent: 6162097 (2000-12-01), Liang

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