Fuse device for coupling plurality of battery cells and method of forming

Abstract

A fuse device for joining terminals of a plurality of battery cells is formed by an ASEP manufacturing process. The fuse device is formed by stamping and forming a lead frame having a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate extending into an opening of the lead frame; overmolding a first insulating housing over a first portion of each of the two plates but not over a second portion of each of the two plates, thereby joining the two plates together; forming a trace on the first insulating housing, the trace mechanically and electrically coupled to the two plates; overmolding a second insulating housing over at least the traces, thereby forming a subassembly; separating the sub-assembly from the lead frame; the two second portions mechanically and electrically join the third and fourth conductive plates.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 345,559, filed on May 25, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a fuse device for joining terminals (e.g., positive terminals) of multiple battery cells and a method of manufacturing the same. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a fuse device for joining terminals (e.g., positive terminals) of multiple battery cells formed using an application specific electronic packaging ("ASEP") manufacturing process. Background Art

[0004] Some customers require fuses to be placed between multiple battery cells. Typical fuses are expensive. Connecting metallization is often used as a fuse. In a one-unit contact system using stamped terminal blocks / busbars that vary in length and therefore volume resistance, a reduced cross-section may be required to "tune" the current vs. time "blow" curve of the fuse so that it does not open prematurely. This variation will typically need to be handled using various inserts and configurations in the stamping die. This method does not allow for the inclusion of molten metal, which may cause cascading damage to other cells and electrical connections (i.e. short circuits).

[0005] Application Specific Electronic Package ("ASEP") devices and manufacturing processes have been developed by the applicant and can be used to create electronic modules. The metal components integrated into the ASEP device are highly conductive, so that the metal components provide an optimal path for carrying large currents and dissipating heat very effectively. The ASEP manufacturing process has been previously described and shown in U.S. Patents 10,433,428, 10,667,407, 10,905,014, and 11,503,718, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limitation, in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:

[0007] Figure 1 A top perspective view showing a fuse device installed on a plurality of battery cells;

[0008] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a fuse assembly is shown, showing one embodiment of a trace;

[0009] Figure 3 Another cross-sectional view showing the fuse device;

[0010] Figure 4 A reel-to-reel assembly process for making a subassembly of a fuse device is shown;

[0011] Figure 5 Additional steps for making a fuse device from a subassembly and attaching the fuse device to a plurality of battery cells are shown;

[0012] Figure 6 showing a flow chart illustrating a roll-to-roll assembly process; and

[0013] Figures 7 to 9 A cross-sectional view of a fuse device is shown, illustrating various alternative embodiments of traces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Although the present disclosure may be readily embodied in different forms of implementation, specific embodiments are shown in the drawings and described in detail in this specification, with the understanding that the present disclosure should be viewed as an example of the principles of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure to that shown and described herein. Thus, unless otherwise noted, the features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations that are not presented for the purpose of simplicity. It will be further appreciated that, in some embodiments, one or more components shown by way of example in the drawings may be removed and / or replaced with alternative components within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0015] Directional terms such as front, rear, horizontal, vertical, etc. are used for convenience in explanation and do not imply a required posture during use.

[0016] A fuse device is designed to be electrically connected to a pair of conductive terminals of a battery cell, see Figure 1. The present disclosure utilizes an application specific electronic packaging (“ASEP”) manufacturing method to create a fuse device, which allows the manufacturer to easily adjust the fuse device for each situation and allows the two conductive plates that are punched out to be shared. The fuse device has a surface on which a laser pattern is scribed and then plated. The fuse device has an insulating housing that is overmolded to increase durability and environmental protection. The fuse metallization of the fuse device is encased in an overmolded outer shell to minimize cascading damage to other battery cells and electrical connections (i.e., short circuits) when "blown." Conductive traces of different shapes and patterns can be easily programmed using a laser program. In addition, conductive traces of different sizes for smaller or larger currents can be easily prepared. Independent multiple fuse component quantities can be placed into common stampings for fusing under various current-time curves. The unique properties of ASEP allow the creation of an assembly having the features of a printed circuit board and the features of an electrical connector in a single high volume compact and low cost assembly. For example, ASEP manufacturing processes are disclosed in U.S. Patents 10,433,428, 10,667,407, 10,905,014 and 11,503,718.

[0017] A fuse device 20 is electrically connected to a plurality of conductive terminals, for example, positive terminals 22a, 22b of a pair of battery cells 24a, 24b. Each battery cell 24a, 24b is conventional and has a positive terminal 22a, 22b surrounded by a negative terminal 26a, 26b in a battery housing 28. The battery housing 28 may be cylindrical. The positive and negative terminals 22a, 22b, 26a, 26b are exposed at the top of the battery housing 28. A lower end of the battery housing 28 may be flat.

[0018] The fuse device 20 includes: first and second conductive plates 30a, 30b, which are mechanically and electrically connected to the respective positive terminals 22a, 22b (or the respective negative terminals 26a, 26b) of the two battery cells 24a, 24b; and a bridge assembly 32, which is mechanically and electrically connected to the first and second conductive plates 30a, 30b. The bridge assembly 32 is formed by an inner first insulating housing 34 having a conductive trace 36 thereon, first and second conductive plates 38a, 38b mechanically and electrically connected to the conductive trace 36, and an outer second insulating housing 40. The first and second conductive plates 38a, 38b are mechanically and electrically connected to the respective first and second conductive plates 30a, 30b. The first and second conductive plates 30a, 30b can each be generally U-shaped.

[0019] like Figure 2As shown in the cross-sectional view of , each conductive plate 38a, 38b has: a first portion 42, which is inside the inner and outer shells 34, 40; and a second portion 44, which is partially inside the inner and outer shells 34, 40 and has a portion extending outward from opposite ends of the outer shell 40. The two first portions 42 are spaced apart from each other in the inner shell 34, so that a space 46 is provided between the two first portions 42. The two conductive plates 38a, 38b can adopt various shapes. As shown, each conductive plate 38a, 38b is flat and generally T-shaped. For example, the two first portions 42 can be rectangular, square, circular, triangular, etc. For example, the two second portions 44 can be rectangular or square. The two conductive plates 38a, 38b can be rectangular or square. By providing a non-linear first portion 42, this prevents the two conductive plates 38a, 38b from being pulled out of the inner shell 34.

[0020] The inner shell 34 generally wraps around the two first portions 42 and fills the space 46. Figure 3 As shown in the cross-sectional view, the inner shell 34 has: a first through hole 48a, which extends from a top surface of the inner shell 34 and exposes the first portion 42 of the first conductive plate 38a; and a second through hole 48b, which extends from the top surface and exposes the first portion 42 of the second conductive plate 38b.

[0021] The conductive trace 36 is formed by the plating layers 50a, 50b on the walls forming the respective through holes 48a, 48b and the plating layer 52 on the top surface of the inner insulating housing 34. The plating layer 50a is mechanically and electrically connected to the first portion 42 of the first conductive plate 38a, and the plating layer 50b is mechanically and electrically connected to the first portion 42 of the second conductive plate 38b. The two plating layers 50a, 50b and the plating layer 52 are mechanically and electrically connected together. Thus, a conductive path is formed from the conductive plate 38a, through the plating layer 50a, through the plating layer 52, through the plating layer 50b, and through the conductive plate 38b.

[0022] The outer shell 40 wraps around the conductive traces 36. As shown, the outer shell 40 also wraps around a portion of the first portion 42 of each conductive plate 38a, 38b exposed from the inner shell 34 and wraps around the inner shell 34. In an embodiment, the outer shell 40 does not completely cover the inner shell 34; the outer shell 40 only covers the portion of the inner shell 34 having the conductive traces 36. Two second portions 44 are not wrapped and extend outwardly from opposite ends of the outer shell 40.

[0023] The second portion 44 of the first conductive plate 38a is mechanically and electrically coupled to the first conductive plate 30a, and the second portion 44 of the second conductive plate 38b is mechanically and electrically coupled to the second conductive plate 30b.

[0024] The first conductive plate 30a is mechanically and electrically connected to the positive terminal 22a of the first battery cell 24a, and the second conductive plate 30b is mechanically and electrically connected to the positive terminal 22b of the second battery cell 24b. Thus, the positive terminal 22a of the battery cell 24a is electrically connected to the positive terminal 22b of the battery cell 24b via the fuse device 20. Alternatively, but not shown, the first conductive plate 30a is mechanically and electrically connected to the negative terminal 26a of the first battery cell 24a, and the second conductive plate 30b is mechanically and electrically connected to the negative terminal 26b of the second battery cell 24b. Thus, the negative terminal 26a of the battery cell 24a is electrically connected to the negative terminal 26b of the battery cell 24b via the fuse device 20.

[0025] The fuse device 20 is preferably manufactured using an ASEP manufacturing process. Attention is directed to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The formation of fuse device 20 is shown. Figure 6 A flow chart showing the steps of an ASEP manufacturing process 100 is provided.

[0026] When the ASEP manufacturing process is employed, the manufacturing process is preferably continuous for reasons of speed and cost. The reel-to-reel technique allows the fuse device 20 to be formed while being attached to a carrier web. The carrier web is preferably unwound from a first (bulk source) reel (not shown) and then collected on a second (take-up) reel (not shown) if necessary, wherein the manufacturing process occurs between the first reel and the second reel. For example, as provided in U.S. Patent No. 11,083,088, the carrier web has a plurality of carrier holes 54 extending therethrough. The plurality of carrier holes 54 allow the carrier web to travel in a continuous flow along a production line between the first reel and the second reel like a conveyor belt. The carrier web is preferably formed of any desired conductive metal such as a copper alloy.

[0027] like Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, the ASEP manufacturing process 100 begins with step A. The ASEP manufacturing process 100 preferably occurs between a pair of rolls (not shown). In step A, a middle portion of a continuous carrier web is stamped (thereby removing undesired portions of the middle portion of the carrier web) to form a lead frame 56 with an opening 58 and to form first and second conductive plates 38a, 38b extending inwardly into the opening 58. The lead frame 56 preferably includes end portions 56a, 56b (it is understood that the end portions 56a, 56b of one lead frame 56 are continuous with the end portions 56a, 56b of an adjacent lead frame 56) and a pair of stabilizers 56c, 56d (it is understood that the stabilizers 56c, 56d of one lead frame 56 will also preferably serve as the stabilizers 56d, 56c of an adjacent lead frame 56), wherein each stabilizer 56c, 56d spans the distance between the opposing end portions 56a, 56b. The opposite ends 56a, 56b and the stabilizing portions 56c, 56d thus generally form a rectangular frame between which the opening 58 is defined. The two first portions 42 of the two conductive plates 38a, 38b are attached to the two ends 56a, 56b via a plurality of fingers 60 and the second portions 44 of the conductive plates 38a, 38b are attached to the stabilizing portions 56c, 56d.

[0028] The ASEP manufacturing process 100 continues with step B. In step B, an insulating substrate is overmolded on the two first portions 42 and a portion of the two second portions 42, 44 of the two conductive plates 38a, 38b to form the inner insulating housing 34. Two through holes 48a, 48b are formed in this overmolding step. The inner housing 34 can be formed of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), isoisovinylbenzene homopolymer (SPS), polycarbonate, polycarbonate blends, polypropylene, polypropylene blends. The inner housing 34 can also be advantageously formed using a thermally conductive liquid crystal polymer (LCP). By preparing the inner housing 34 from a thermally conductive LCP, the thermal load of the electronic devices in the electrical connector 22 can be significantly reduced. The overmolding of step B can be performed by a single or double shot process or any other conventional molding process.

[0029] The ASEP manufacturing process 100 continues with step C. In step C, patterning is performed on the inner housing 34. The patterning provides a pattern 62 (which may be a circuit pattern) to be formed on the upper surface of the inner housing 34 and in the holes 48a, 48b. The pattern 62 includes a plating layer 64a formed on the wall forming the through hole 48a, a plating layer 66 formed on the upper surface of the inner housing 34, and a plating layer 64b formed on the wall forming the through hole 48b. The plating layer 66 connects the two plating layers 64a, 64b together. The pattern 62 can be formed by any number of suitable processes, including a laser process, a plasma process (which may be a vacuum or atmospheric process), a UV process and / or a fluorination process. Depending on the process used (e.g., plasma, UV and / or fluorination), the patterning may include patterning of most if not all of the upper surface of the inner housing 34 (i.e., a surface treatment). Thus, the pattern 62 may be formed on the entire or nearly the entire upper surface of the inner case 34 .

[0030] The ASEP manufacturing process 100 continues with step D. In step D, the pattern 62 is plated to form the trace 36 by applying a voltage potential to the lead frame 56 (which is electrically connected to the pattern 62) and then exposing the lead frame 56, the inner housing 34, and the pattern 62 to a plating bath. The plating process not only plates the pattern 62 and the walls forming the through holes 48a, 48b, but also plates the lead frame 56 and the two portions 44 and the plurality of fingers 60 that are not covered by the inner housing 34. During the plating process, a slug may be formed within the through holes 48a, 48b. Step D can involve a single step plating process to create a single layer of a single material, such as copper, or can involve a multi-step plating process to create multiple layers of multiple materials, such as a copper layer and a tin layer, and it is understood that other suitable materials may also be used. The increased thickness allows for increased current carrying capacity, and generally, electroplating processes tend to create a material with a high electrical conductivity, so that the performance of the resulting electronic circuit trace 36 is improved.

[0031] The ASEP manufacturing process 100 continues with step E, but Figure 4 This step is not shown (step E is shown in Figure 6 ). In step E, a solder mask is applied to cover selected portions of the electronic circuit traces 36 and all or substantially all of the exposed surface of the inner housing 34 and solder paste is stenciled on the exposed portions of the electronic circuit traces 36 (i.e., those portions not covered by the solder mask). Alternatively, in step E, a laser melts the tin plated on the nickel in an area around the periphery of the components. Because tin is extremely solderable and nickel is not, the solder is prevented from flowing away from the components.

[0032] The manufacturing process continues with step F. In step F, an insulating substrate is overmolded to the inner housing 34 and overmolded over at least the conductive traces 36 to form an outer insulating housing 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer housing 40 completely encases the inner housing 34. In one embodiment, the outer housing 40 does not completely cover the inner housing 34; the outer housing 40 only covers the portion of the inner housing 34 having the conductive traces 36. Two second portions 44 are not encapsulated and extend outwardly from opposite ends of the outer housing 40. The overmolding of step F can be performed by a single or double shot process or any other conventional molding process.

[0033] The ASEP manufacturing process 100 continues with step G, where step G occurs off the first and second reels. At step G, the lead frame 56 and the plurality of fingers 60 (if provided) are removed to form a fuse subassembly 70.

[0034] The manufacturing process continues with step H. In step H, the fuse subassembly 70 is seated in a through hole 72 of a conductive plate 74, wherein the two second portions 44 of the fuse subassembly 70 overlap the conductive plate 74. The two second portions 44 are mechanically and electrically connected to the conductive plate 74.

[0035] The manufacturing process continues with step I. Two portions 76 of the conductive plate 74 on the sides of the fuse subassembly 70 are removed to form two gaps 78 and separate the conductive plate 74 into a first portion and a second portion, thereby forming the fuse device 20. The two portions form the two conductive plates 30a, 30b.

[0036] In step J, which is outside the manufacturing process, the fuse device 20 is attached to the two battery cells 24a, 24b.

[0037] like Figure 3 and Figures 7 to 9 As shown, one or more conductive traces 36 can be provided on the inner insulating housing 34 for connection to the two conductive plates 38a, 38b. Although the conductive traces 36 are shown as straight lines, the conductive traces 36 can take any desired form; for example, the conductive traces 36 can be serpentine, wavy, zigzag, etc. In addition, any desired width can be provided for the conductive traces 36, and the conductive traces 36 can include one or more plating layers 50a on the walls forming the through-hole 48a and one or more plating layers 50b on the walls forming the through-hole 48b.

[0038] The fuse device 20 is formed by using an ASEP manufacturing process, which allows the manufacturer to easily adjust the fuse device 20 for each situation and allows the two conductive plates 30a, 30b to be shared. Independent multiple fuse component quantities can be placed in a common stamping for fusing under various current-time curves. In some embodiments, the conductive plates 30a, 38a are integrally formed as a single plate, and the conductive plates 30b, 38b are integrally formed as a single plate.

[0039] Furthermore, the fuse metallization of the fuse device 20 is encased within an overmolded outer housing 40 to minimize cascading damage to other battery cells and electrical connections (i.e., short circuits) when "blown." Different shapes and patterns of conductive traces 36 can be easily programmed using a laser program. Additionally, conductive traces 36 of different sizes for smaller or larger currents can be easily prepared.

[0040] It will be appreciated that in certain applications, not all steps will be required. It is also appreciated that in certain applications, the order of the steps may be modified as appropriate.

[0041] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

[0042] The use of the terms "a," "an," "the," "at least one," and similar references in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the appended claims) should be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The term "at least one" followed by a list of one or more items (e.g., "at least one of A and B") should be construed to refer to one (A or B) selected from the listed items or any combination (A and B) of more than two of the listed items, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" should be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including but not limited to") unless otherwise indicated. The recitation of numerical ranges herein is intended merely to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All processes described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended only to better illustrate the present invention and does not limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element is essential to the practice of the present invention.

[0043] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described herein, including the best examples known to the inventor for implementing the present invention. By reading the foregoing description, variations of those preferred embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The inventor expects that a skilled person will appropriately adopt such variations, and the inventor intends that the present invention will be practiced in a manner different from that specifically described herein. Therefore, the present invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter cited in the appended claims herein as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-mentioned elements in all possible variations thereof is covered by the present invention, unless otherwise specified herein or clearly contradictory to the context. It can be appreciated from the various embodiments described herein that the different features of the different embodiments described herein can be combined together to form another combination. Therefore, the embodiments described herein are particularly suitable for providing a wide range of configurations that are not all individually described, to avoid repetition and unnecessary duplication.

[0044] The disclosure provided herein illustrates features by means of its preferred and exemplary embodiments. Upon reading this disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize many other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of forming a fuse device for connecting terminals of a pair of battery cells, comprising: stamping and forming a lead frame defining an opening and having a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate extending into the opening; overmolding a first insulating housing over a first portion of each of the first and second conductive plates but not overmolding over a second portion of each of the first and second conductive plates, thereby coupling the first and second conductive plates together; forming a trace on the first insulating housing, the trace mechanically and electrically coupled to the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; overmolding a second insulating housing over at least the traces, thereby forming a subassembly; separating the subassembly from the lead frame; Mechanically and electrically connecting the second portion of the first conductive plate to a third conductive plate; as well as The second portion of the second conductive plate is mechanically and electrically coupled to a fourth conductive plate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: The third conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of one of the battery cells, and the fourth conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of another battery cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: The second insulating shell is overmolded on the entire first shell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first housing has: a first opening, which is disposed through the first housing and exposes a portion of the first portion of the first conductive plate; and a second opening, which is disposed through the first housing and exposes a portion of the first portion of the second conductive plate, Wherein, the trace is formed by: forming a pattern on the first insulating housing, wherein the pattern extends along a surface of the first insulating housing and extends through the opening, and The pattern is then electroplated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: The second insulating shell is overmolded on the entire first shell.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein: The third conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of one of the battery cells, and the fourth conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of another battery cell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first housing has: a plurality of first openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each first opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the first conductive plate; and a plurality of second openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each second opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the second conductive plate, Wherein, the trace is formed by: forming a plurality of patterns on the first insulating housing, wherein each pattern extends along a surface of the first insulating housing, passes through one of the first openings and passes through one of the second openings, and The pattern is then electroplated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first housing has: a plurality of first openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each first opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the first conductive plate; and a plurality of second openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each second opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the second conductive plate, Wherein, the trace is formed by: forming a pattern on the first insulating housing, wherein the pattern extends along a surface of the first insulating housing, passes through each of the plurality of first openings and passes through each of the plurality of second openings, and The pattern is then electroplated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: The trace line has one of a straight line portion, a serpentine portion, a wavy portion, and a zigzag portion.

10. A method of forming a fuse device for connecting terminals of a pair of battery cells, comprising: stamping and forming a lead frame defining an opening and having a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate extending into the opening; overmolding a first insulating housing over a first portion of each of the first and second conductive plates but not overmolding over a second portion of each of the first and second conductive plates, thereby coupling the first and second conductive plates together; forming a trace on the first insulating housing, the trace mechanically and electrically coupled to the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; overmolding a second insulating housing over at least the traces, thereby forming a subassembly; separating the subassembly from the lead frame; positioning the subassembly within an opening on a third conductive plate; mechanically and electrically coupling a second portion of each of the first and second conductive plates to the third conductive plate; as well as A portion of the third conductive plate is removed to separate the third conductive plate into a first portion and a second portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein: The first portion of the third conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of one of the battery cells; and the second portion of the third conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of another battery cell.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein: The second insulating shell is overmolded on the entire first shell.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein: The first housing has a first opening which penetrates the first housing and exposes a portion of the first portion of the first conductive plate; and a second opening disposed through the first housing to expose a portion of the first portion of the second conductive plate, wherein the trace is formed by: forming a pattern on the first insulating housing, wherein the pattern extends along a surface of the first insulating housing and extends through the opening, and The pattern is then electroplated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The second insulating shell is overmolded on the entire first shell.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein: The first portion of the third conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of one of the battery cells; and the second portion of the third conductive plate is connected to one of the terminals of another battery cell.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein: The first housing has: a plurality of first openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each first opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the first conductive plate; and a plurality of second openings disposed through the first housing, each second opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the second conductive plate, wherein the trace is formed by: forming a plurality of patterns on the first insulating housing, wherein each pattern extends along a surface of the first insulating housing, through one of the first openings and through one of the second openings, and The pattern is then electroplated.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein: The first housing has: a plurality of first openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each first opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the first conductive plate; and a plurality of second openings, which are arranged through the first housing, each second opening exposing a portion of the first portion of the second conductive plate, Wherein, the trace is formed by: forming a pattern on the first insulating housing, the pattern extending along a surface of the first insulating housing, passing through each of the plurality of first openings and passing through each of the plurality of second openings, and The pattern is then electroplated.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein: The trace line has one of a straight line portion, a serpentine portion, a wavy portion, and a zigzag portion.

19. A fuse device comprising: A subassembly, comprising: a first insulating housing; a first conductive plate having a first portion enclosed in the first insulating housing and a second portion extending from the first insulating housing; a second conductive plate having a first portion enclosed in the first insulating housing and a second portion extending from the first insulating housing; a conductive trace on the first insulating housing, electrically and mechanically connected to the first portion; and a second insulating housing covering at least the trace; a third conductive plate, the second portion of the first conductive plate being mechanically and electrically connected to the third conductive plate; a fourth conductive plate, the second portion of the second conductive plate being mechanically and electrically coupled to the fourth conductive plate; and wherein the subassembly is formed by an application specific electronic packaging ("ASEP") manufacturing process, the application specific electronic packaging manufacturing process comprising: stamping and forming a lead frame defining an opening and having a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate extending into the opening; overmolding a first insulating housing over a first portion of each of the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, but not overmolding over a second portion of each of the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, thereby connecting the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate together; forming a trace on the first insulating housing, the trace mechanically and electrically connecting the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; overmolding a second insulating housing over at least the trace, thereby forming a subassembly; and separating the subassembly from the lead frame.

20. The fuse device of claim 19, wherein: The second insulating housing encloses the first insulating housing and the conductive trace.

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