Sealed battery fuse module with energy dissipation cover

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Sealed Battery Fuse Module with Energy Dissipation Cover". The present invention discloses a fuse module, including: a mounting block having a through hole extending therethrough; a fuse including an upper portion disposed on the top of the mounting block and having the through hole, a lower portion disposed on the bottom of the mounting block and having the through hole, and a fusible element disposed adjacent to the side wall of the mounting block and connecting the upper portion to the lower portion, the fuse module also includes a housing having a body portion encapsulating the mounting block and the fuse, the body portion having holes in its top and bottom surfaces aligned with the through hole of the mounting block; and a cover portion connected to the body portion and disposed on the fusible element and having surface features extending from its inner surface for absorbing energy when an overcurrent condition occurs in the fuse.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 782,973, filed on December 20, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of circuit protection devices, and more particularly to a sealed battery fuse module having a cover adapted to dissipate energy from a blown fusible element. Background Art

[0004] Battery fuse modules are sometimes implemented in vehicle applications. In a conventional implementation, a battery fuse module is mounted directly to the terminals of a vehicle battery (e.g., a battery of an automobile or industrial vehicle) in electrical series between the battery and a connected load. When an overcurrent condition occurs, a fusible element within the battery fuse module melts, decomposes, or otherwise disconnects to prevent current from flowing through the battery fuse module. The battery fuse module thereby prevents or mitigates electrical damage to the battery and / or load that would result if the overcurrent condition were allowed to persist.

[0005] When the fusible element of a battery fuse module melts or otherwise opens during an overcurrent condition, an arc can sometimes propagate between separate portions of the fusible element. In some cases, the arc can quickly heat the surrounding air and surrounding particles and can cause a small explosion. In some applications (such as those where the battery fuse module is implemented in an environment where volatile gases are present), there is a danger that arcing and explosions may occur within the battery fuse module.

[0006] With regard to these and other considerations, improvements of the present disclosure may be useful. Summary of the invention

[0007] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] A fuse module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a mounting block having a through hole extending therethrough; a fuse having an upper portion disposed on the top of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block, and having a lower portion disposed at the bottom of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block; and a fusible element disposed adjacent to a side wall of the mounting block and connecting the upper portion of the fuse to the lower portion of the fuse. The fuse module may also include a housing having a main body portion, the main body portion enclosing the mounting block and the fuse, the main body portion having holes on its top and bottom surfaces that align with the through hole of the mounting block and expose the lower surface of the upper portion and the lower surface of the lower portion of the fuse, and a cover portion connected to the main body portion and disposed on the fusible element, the cover portion having surface features extending from its inner surface for absorbing energy when an overcurrent condition occurs in the fuse.

[0009] A circuit protection arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a fuse module electrically connected in series between a battery and a ring terminal of a conductor, the fuse module including a mounting block having a through hole extending therethrough, a fuse having an upper portion disposed on the top of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block, and a fuse having a lower portion disposed on the bottom of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block, and a fusible element disposed adjacent to a side wall of the mounting block and connecting the upper portion of the fuse to the lower portion of the fuse. The fuse module may also include a housing having a body portion, the body portion enclosing the mounting block and the fuse, the body portion having holes on its top and bottom surfaces aligned with the through hole of the mounting block and exposing the lower surface of the upper portion and the lower surface of the lower portion of the fuse, and a cover portion connected to the body portion and disposed on the fusible element, the cover portion having surface features extending from its inner surface for absorbing energy when an overcurrent condition occurs in the fuse. The circuit protection arrangement may further include an electrically insulating screw extending through the ring terminal and the fuse module and engaging a threaded terminal of the battery, whereby the electrically insulating screw secures the ring terminal, the fuse, and the battery terminal in electrical communication with one another. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a fuse module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 It is shown as Figure 1 An exploded view of the components of the fuse module is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 It is shown as Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of components of the fuse module shown;

[0013] Figure 4 It is shown as Figure 1 A perspective view of fuses of the fuse module is shown;

[0014] Figure 5 It is shown as Figure 1 A perspective view of a cover portion of a housing of a fuse module is shown;

[0015] Figure 6 is shown as installed on the battery Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a fuse module is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] A battery fuse module according to the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the battery fuse module are presented. However, it should be understood that the battery fuse module can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will convey certain exemplary aspects of the battery fuse module to those skilled in the art.

[0017] See also Figure 1 , a perspective view of a battery fuse module 10 (hereinafter referred to as "fuse module 10") according to an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As will be described in more detail below, the fuse module 10 can be directly coupled to the terminals of a battery (e.g., a vehicle battery) without a flexible electrical conductor extending therebetween, and can provide overcurrent protection for an electrical load powered by the battery. Advantageously, the fusible element of the fuse module 10 is sealed within a resilient housing with an energy dissipating cover so that any arcing and resulting explosion that may occur in the fuse module 10 during an overcurrent condition is completely contained within the fuse module 10 to prevent ignition of volatile gases that may be present in the environment of the fuse module 10.

[0018] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the fuse module 10 may generally include a mounting block 12 formed of an electrically insulating material and a fuse 14 extending around several surfaces of the mounting block 12. Specifically, the fuse 14 (which is not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity) Figure 4The fuse 14 (shown separately in FIG. 1 ) includes an upper portion 14a disposed on a top surface 12a of the mounting block 12, a lower portion 14b disposed on a lower surface 12b of the mounting block 12, and a fusible element 14c disposed adjacent to a side wall 12c of the mounting block 12 and connecting the upper portion 14a to the lower portion 14b. The mounting block 12 may include a through hole 16 extending vertically therethrough, and the upper portion 14a and the lower portion 14b of the fuse 14 may each have through holes 18, 20 aligned with the through hole 16 of the mounting block 12. The mounting block 12 may also include a cover 19 that fits over the fusible element 14c and is attached to the side wall 12c.

[0019] The fuse module 10 may also include an electrically insulating, resilient housing 22 that encloses the mounting block 12 and the fuse 14. In various embodiments, the housing 22 may be formed of rubber, plastic, various composite materials, etc. The housing 22 may include a body portion 23 and a cover portion 25. The top and bottom surfaces of the body portion 23 may include holes 24, 26 formed therein for exposing the lower surface of the upper portion 14a of the fuse 14 and the lower surface of the lower portion 14b, respectively, and providing access to these lower surfaces. An annular lip 28 extends several millimeters from the bottom surface of the body portion 23 and surrounds the hole 26.

[0020] The fuse module may also include a conductive ring 29 disposed in the hole 24 in the top surface of the main body portion 23. In various embodiments, the conductive ring 29 may be formed of copper, silver, gold, tin, etc. The present disclosure is not limited in this regard. The conductive ring 29 may be placed on an exposed surface of the upper portion 14a of the fuse 14 in electrical communication therewith. The conductive ring 29 may protrude from the hole 24 and may extend a few millimeters above the top surface of the main body portion 23.

[0021] The cover portion 25 of the housing 22 can fit over the cover 19 and the underlying fusible element 14c, and can be attached to the main body portion 23 of the housing 22 in a fluid-tight relationship therewith (as further described below). Figure 5 For clarity of description, a perspective view showing the cover portion 25 alone is provided. The cover portion 25 can be generally cup-shaped and can define an interior cavity 30. A plurality of surface features 32 can extend from one or more interior surfaces of the cover portion 25 into the interior cavity 30. Figure 5 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the surface feature 32 is a frustoconical protrusion with vertical ridges extending radially therefrom. The present disclosure is not limited in this respect, and various alternative embodiments of the cover 25 are contemplated, wherein the surface feature 32 may additionally or alternatively include various ridges, protrusions, tooth-shaped structures, barriers, channels, profiles, etc. of different shapes and sizes.

[0022] See again Figure 3 In the cross-sectional view of the assembled fuse module 10 shown in FIG, the surface features 32 of the cover portion 25 can be disposed proximate to the cover 19 and the underlying fusible element 14c, and the internal cavity 30 of the cover portion 25 can define an air pocket proximate to the cover 19 and the underlying fusible element 14c. Therefore, if an overcurrent condition in the fuse module 10 causes the fusible element 14c to melt and produce an explosion, the air pocket defined by the cover portion 25 can provide expansion space for containing the energy of the explosion. In addition, the surface features 32 can provide significant surface area between the fusible element 14c and the internal surface of the cover portion 25 to absorb the energy of the explosion. Therefore, the risk of rupture of the fuse module 10 is reduced, and the risk of the arc in the melted fusible element 14c igniting volatile gases in the atmosphere surrounding the fuse module 10 is reduced.

[0023] In a non-limiting embodiment, the Figure 3 The fuse module 10 is assembled by arranging the mounting block 12, the fuse 14, the conductive ring 29, and the preformed (e.g., molded, 3D printed, etc.) cover portion 25 together in the manner shown. The body portion 23 of the housing 22 can then be overmolded onto and around the mounting block 12, the fuse 14, and the conductive ring 29, adjacent to the cover portion 25 of the housing 22. The molten material used to form the body portion 23 of the housing 22 during the overmolding process can melt and can bond with the lip of the cover portion 25, resulting in a fluid-tight engagement between the cover portion 25 and the body portion 23.

[0024] See also Figure 6, the fuse module 10 is shown as being operably mounted in a circuit protection arrangement, wherein the fuse module 10 is connected between the battery 40 and the insulating ring terminal 42 of the conductor 44. An electrically insulating screw 46 (e.g., a metal screw having an electrically insulating coating) extends through each of the ring terminal 42, the conductive ring 29, and the through holes 18, 16, 20 of the upper portion 14a, the mounting block 12, and the lower portion 14b, and is fastened to the ring threaded terminal 48 of the battery 40. The conductive ring 29 extends through a hole in the insulating coating 50 of the ring terminal 42 and engages the conductive (i.e., metal) portion 52 of the ring terminal 42. The electrically insulating ring 54 may be disposed between the metal head 56 of the screw 46 and the conductive portion 52 of the ring terminal 42 to provide electrical insulation therebetween. The resilient insulating coating 50 of the ring terminal 42 may engage the top surface of the body portion 23 and form a seal therewith. Similarly, the annular battery terminal 48 can extend through the hole 26 in the bottom surface of the body portion 23 and can engage the lower portion 14b of the fuse 14, and the annular lip 28 of the body portion 23 can engage and form a seal with the top surface of the battery 40. An overcurrent protected electrical connection is thereby provided between the battery 40 and the annular terminal 42.

[0025] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the fuse module 10 described above provides many advantages that facilitate safe operation in hazardous environments. For example, the fusible element 14c of the fuse module 10 is sealed within a resilient housing 22 having an energy dissipation cover 25, so that any arc and resulting explosion that may occur in the fuse module 10 during an overcurrent condition is fully contained to prevent ignition of volatile gases that may be present in the environment of the fuse module 10.

[0026] As used herein, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated, an element or step stated in the singular and beginning with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding multiple elements or steps. In addition, reference to "one embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also include the described features.

[0027] Although the present disclosure refers to certain embodiments, many modifications, changes and variations of the embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended not to be limited to the described embodiments, but to have the full scope defined by the language of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fuse module, comprising: a mounting block having a through hole extending therethrough; Fuses, including: an upper portion disposed on top of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block; a lower portion disposed on a bottom of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block; and a fusible element disposed adjacent a side wall of the mounting block and connecting the upper portion of the fuse to the lower portion of the fuse; and Housing, comprising: a main body portion, the main body portion enclosing the mounting block and the fuse, The body portion has holes in top and bottom surfaces thereof, the holes being aligned with the through holes of the mounting block and exposing lower surfaces of the upper portion and the lower portion of the fuse; and a cup-shaped cover portion connected to the body portion and disposed over the fusible element, the cover portion defining an interior cavity, the interior cavity defining an air pocket proximate the fusible element, the cover portion having surface features extending from an interior surface of the interior cavity, the air pocket and the surface features being configured to absorb energy when an overcurrent condition occurs in the fuse. 2 . The fuse module of claim 1 , wherein the body portion includes an annular lip extending from a bottom surface thereof, the annular lip surrounding the hole in the bottom surface of the body portion.

3. The fuse module of claim 1, further comprising a conductive ring disposed within the hole in the top surface of the body portion and seated on the upper portion of the fuse. 4 . The fuse module of claim 3 , wherein the conductive ring protrudes from the hole in the top surface of the body portion and extends above the top surface of the body portion. The fuse module of claim 1 , wherein the cover portion forms a fluid seal with the body portion.

6. The fuse module of claim 1, wherein the surface features include one or more of ridges, protrusions, serrations, barriers, channels, and contours.

7. The fuse module of claim 6, wherein the surface feature comprises a frustoconical protrusion having a ridge formed on a sidewall thereof.

8. The fuse module of claim 1, wherein the mounting block includes a cover disposed on the fusible element, the cover being disposed proximate to the cover portion.

9. The fuse module according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed of an electrically insulating elastic material.

10. A circuit protection arrangement comprising: A fuse module, the fuse module being electrically connected in series between the battery and the ring terminal of the conductor, the fuse module comprising: a mounting block having a through hole extending therethrough; Fuses, including: an upper portion disposed on top of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block; a lower portion disposed on a bottom of the mounting block and having a through hole aligned with the through hole of the mounting block; and a fusible element disposed adjacent a side wall of the mounting block and connecting the upper portion of the fuse to the lower portion of the fuse; and Housing, comprising: a main body portion, the main body portion enclosing the mounting block and the fuse, The body portion has holes in top and bottom surfaces thereof, the holes being aligned with the through holes of the mounting block and exposing lower surfaces of the upper portion and the lower portion of the fuse; and a cup-shaped cover portion connected to the body portion and disposed over the fusible element, the cover portion defining an interior cavity, the interior cavity defining an air pocket proximate the fusible element, the cover portion having surface features extending from an interior surface of the interior cavity, the air pocket and the surface features being configured to absorb energy when an overcurrent condition occurs in the fuse; and An electrically insulating screw extends through the ring terminal and the fuse module and engages a threaded terminal of the battery, whereby the electrically insulating screw secures the ring terminal, the fuse, and the battery terminal in electrical communication with one another.

11. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, further comprising a conductive ring disposed within the hole in the top surface of the body portion and seated on the upper portion of the fuse, wherein the conductive ring extends through the hole in the insulating coating of the ring terminal and engages a conductive portion of the ring terminal.

12. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, further comprising an electrically insulating ring disposed between the metal head of the electrically insulating screw and the conductive portion of the ring terminal to provide electrical insulation therebetween.

13. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the resilient electrically insulating coating of the ring terminal engages and forms a seal with the top surface of the body portion.

14. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the battery terminal extends through the hole in the bottom surface of the body portion and engages the lower portion of the fuse.

15. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the body portion includes an annular lip extending from a bottom surface thereof, the annular lip surrounding the hole in the bottom surface of the body portion, wherein the annular lip engages and forms a seal with a top surface of the battery.

16. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the cover portion forms a fluid seal with the body portion.

17. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the surface features include one or more of ridges, protrusions, castellations, barriers, channels, and contours.

18. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 17, wherein the surface feature comprises a frusto-conical protrusion having a ridge formed on a sidewall thereof.

19. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the mounting block includes a cover disposed on the fusible element, the cover being proximate to the cover portion.

20. The circuit protection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the housing is formed of an electrically insulating resilient material.

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