Vertical fuse box

Abstract

The methods disclosed herein relate to a vertically oriented fusible device and a vertically oriented fuse cartridge. In one method, a vertical fuse assembly may include a body including an upper section and a lower section; and a fuse extending between an upper terminal and a lower terminal, where the upper terminal is positioned within the upper section, where the lower terminal is positioned within the lower section, and where the lower terminal extends through the lower section. The vertical fuse assembly may further include a side terminal adjacent the fuse body, where the side terminal extends through the lower section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of circuit protection devices and, more particularly, to vertically oriented fusible devices / boxes. Background Art

[0002] Fuses are often used in applications where it is desirable to implement an overcurrent protection device directly on a printed circuit board (PCB) or other substrate. Some conventional fuses include a fusible element extending between first and second conductive terminals along the top of an insulated fuse body. The terminals are typically bent around opposite ends of the fuse body to the underside of the fuse body where they can be electrically connected (e.g., soldered) to corresponding contacts on the PCB.

[0003] One disadvantage associated with conventional fuses is that they have a relatively large footprint on the PCB or other substrate on which they are mounted. Another disadvantage of conventional fuses is that the fuse holder typically encloses the fuse and does not allow heat dissipation, thus requiring fuse re-rating in some cases. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the improvements of the present invention may be useful. Summary of the invention

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description below. This Summary is not intended to identify key 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.

[0005] In one aspect, a vertical fuse assembly may include: a body including an upper section and a lower section; and a fuse extending between an upper terminal and a lower terminal, wherein the upper terminal is positioned within the upper section, wherein the lower terminal is positioned within the lower section, and wherein the lower terminal extends through the lower section. The vertical fuse assembly may also include a side terminal adjacent to the fuse, wherein the side terminal extends through the lower section.

[0006] In another aspect, a vertical fuse box may include: a body including an upper section and a lower section; and a fuse extending between an upper terminal and a lower terminal, wherein the upper terminal is positioned within the upper section, wherein the lower terminal is positioned within the lower section, and wherein the lower terminal includes a first lead extending through the lower section. The vertical SMD may also include side terminals adjacent to the fuse body of the fuse, wherein the side terminals include a second lead and a third lead extending through the lower section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary methods of the present disclosure, including practical applications of its principles, as follows:

[0008] Figure 1A shows a perspective view of a vertical fuse assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 1B shows another perspective view of a vertical fuse assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a vertical fuse according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 3A-3B A perspective view showing a lower section of a vertical fuse assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0012] Figure 4 A perspective view of a lower terminal of a vertical fuse assembly is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The accompanying drawings are merely representations and are not intended to depict specific parameters of the present disclosure. The accompanying drawings are intended to depict exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be considered to limit the scope. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0014] Further, for clarity of illustration, certain elements may be omitted from some of the drawings or may not be shown to scale. For clarity of illustration, the cross-sectional views may be in the form of "sliced" or "close-up" cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines that would be visible in a "true" cross-sectional view. In addition, for clarity, some reference numerals may be omitted from some of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The devices, fuses, circuit protectors, assemblies and methods according to the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown. The devices, fuses, circuit protectors, assemblies and methods can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of these methods to those skilled in the art.

[0016] In order to address the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, namely PCB space and heat dissipation, a vertically mounted fuse holder is needed. Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a vertical fuse box consisting of a top assembly and a bottom assembly. The top assembly is removable to allow insertion of a fuse, similar in concept to a fuse holder knob or cover. The top assembly houses an upper terminal into which the fuse can be inserted and secured by the spiral structure of the terminal. The entire top assembly can then be inserted into the bottom assembly.

[0017] The bottom assembly consists of a side terminal and a lower terminal to which the upper terminal is fixed. The lower assembly has two guide holes to align the upper terminal, and an arc-shaped barrier extending between the lower terminal and the side terminal. In some embodiments, the upper terminal and the lower terminal have a spiral structure that physically fixes the fuse.

[0018] As will be further apparent below, the present disclosure provides at least the following advantages. Vertical mounting of the entire assembly saves PCB space. The exposed structure allows the fuse to dissipate heat without requiring the fuse box to be re-set. In addition, the shockproof structure allows the top assembly to be removed without contacting live parts. Further, multiple series can be provided to cover existing cylindrical fuses.

[0019] Figure 1A-1B A perspective view of a fuse assembly / box 100 (hereinafter referred to as "assembly") according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, and Figure 2 As shown, the assembly 100 may include a body 102 having an upper section 104 and a lower section 106, wherein a fuse 110 extends between the upper section 104 and the lower section 106. An upper terminal 112 may be disposed within the upper section 104, and a lower terminal 114 may be disposed within the lower section 106. The lower terminal 114 may include a lead 115 that extends through an opening 117 of the lower section 106.

[0020] The fuse 110 may include a fuse body 111 enclosed on opposite ends by a first end cap 118 and a second end cap 120. The fuse body 111 may be a generally cylindrical member sized to fit within the upper terminal 112 and the lower terminal 114. Although not shown, the fuse 110 may include a fusible element within the fuse body 111 extending between the upper terminal 112 and the lower terminal 114. The fusible element may be configured to melt, decompose, or otherwise disconnect when the current flowing through the fuse 110 exceeds a predetermined threshold or "rated current" of the fuse 110. In certain embodiments, the fusible element may have a serpentine shape and / or may include perforations, slots, thinned or narrowed segments, and / or various other features to make the fusible element more easily melted or disconnected relative to other portions of the fuse 110. It should be understood that the fuse body 111 remains partially exposed to allow heat dissipation.

[0021] As further shown, the assembly 100 may include a side terminal 122 adjacent to the fuse body 111, wherein the side terminal 122 extends through the lower section 106 of the body 102. In some embodiments, the side terminal 122 may include a body plate 123 and a first lead 124 and a second lead 126 extending from the body plate 123. In some embodiments, the lower section 106 of the body 102 may include a second terminal cavity 128 ( Figure 2 ), and a set of openings 130 ( Figure 1B ) to allow the first and second leads 124, 126 to pass through. In some embodiments, the first and second leads 124, 126 can include one or more tabs 132 that are operable to engage the bottom surface of the lower section 106 once the first and second leads 124, 126 are inserted through the set of openings 130, thereby holding the side terminals 122 in place. The first and second leads 124, 126 and the leads 115 of the lower terminals 114 are operable to engage a component embedded in or coupled to a printed circuit board (not shown).

[0022] like Figure 2 , the upper section 104 may include a first portion 136 connected to a second portion 138. The first portion 136 may include a channel operable to receive a planar portion 142 of the upper terminal 112, while the second portion 138 may include an upper cavity operable to receive an upper cylindrical portion 144 of the upper terminal 112. As shown, the planar portion 142 is connected to the upper cylindrical portion 144. When the upper section 104 and the lower section 106 are assembled, the planar portion 142 of the upper terminal 112 may be adjacent to and connected to the body plate 123 of the side terminal 122.

[0023] Now go to Figure 3A-3B , the lower section 106 of the assembly 100 will be described in more detail. As shown, the lower section 106 can include a lower cavity 148 that is operable to receive a lower cylindrical portion 150 of the lower terminal 114 therein. The lower cavity 148 can be separated from the second terminal cavity 128 by an arcuate barrier 152. The arcuate barrier 152 can also separate the lower terminal 114 from the side terminals 122. In some embodiments, the lower section 106 can include a set of openings or recesses 156 that are operable to receive corresponding tabs or posts extending from the lower end of the first portion 136 of the upper section 104.

[0024] Now go to Figure 4, the lower terminal 114 will be described in more detail. As shown, the lower terminal 114 includes a lower cylindrical portion 150 connected to the lead 115. The lower cylindrical portion 150 may include one or more spiral members 154 extending from an inner surface 162 thereof. The spiral member 154 can physically secure the lower end cap 120 of the fuse 110 within the lower cylindrical portion 150. It should be understood that the upper terminal 112 can also include one or more spiral members for similarly securing the upper end cap 118 within the upper section 104 of the body 102. As further shown, the lead 115 can include one or more tabs 160 extending therefrom for engaging with the bottom surface of the lower section 106 of the body 102.

[0025] As used herein, an element or operation described in the singular and beginning with the word "one" or "an" should be understood to include multiple elements or operations unless explicitly stated to exclude. In addition, reference to "one embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be limiting. Additional embodiments may also incorporate the features described.

[0026] Furthermore, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being formed on, deposited on, or disposed on, above, or on top of another element, the element may be directly on the other element, or intervening elements may also be present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly on top of," or "directly on top of" another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0027] Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, as the scope of the present disclosure is as broad as the art allows, and the specification can be read similarly. Therefore, the above description should not be interpreted as limiting. On the contrary, the above description is only an example of a specific embodiment. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vertical fuse assembly, comprising: a body, the body comprising an upper section and a lower section; a fuse extending between an upper terminal and a lower terminal, wherein the upper terminal is positioned within the upper section, wherein the lower terminal is positioned within the lower section, and wherein the lower terminal extends through the lower section; and A side terminal is adjacent to the fuse, wherein the side terminal extends through the lower section.

2. The vertical fuse assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The upper section includes an upper cavity, and wherein the upper terminal extends within the upper cavity.

3. The vertical fuse assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The upper terminal comprises: an upper cylindrical portion; and A planar portion is connected to the upper cylindrical portion.

4. The vertical fuse assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The lower terminal comprises: a lower cylindrical portion; and A first lead is connected to the lower cylindrical portion.

5. The vertical fuse assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The upper cylindrical portion receives a first end cap of the fuse, and wherein the lower cylindrical portion receives a second end cap of the fuse.

6. The vertical fuse assembly of claim 1, wherein: The side terminal includes a second lead and a third lead.

7. The vertical fuse assembly of claim 1, wherein: The lower section includes an arc-shaped barrier positioned between the lower terminal and the side terminals.

8. A vertical fuse box, comprising: a body, the body comprising an upper section and a lower section; a fuse extending between an upper terminal and a lower terminal, wherein the upper terminal is positioned within the upper section, wherein the lower terminal is positioned within the lower section, and wherein the lower terminal includes a first lead extending through the lower section; and A side terminal is adjacent to a fuse body of the fuse, wherein the side terminal includes a second lead and a third lead extending through the lower section.

9. The vertical fuse box according to claim 8, wherein: The upper section includes an upper cavity, and wherein the upper terminal extends within the upper cavity.

10. The vertical fuse box according to claim 8, wherein: The upper terminal comprises: an upper cylindrical portion; and A planar portion is connected to the upper cylindrical portion.

11. The vertical fuse box according to claim 10, wherein: The lower terminal includes a lower cylindrical portion, wherein the first lead is connected to the lower cylindrical portion.

12. The vertical fuse box of claim 11, wherein: The upper cylindrical portion receives a first end cap of the fuse body, and wherein the lower cylindrical portion receives a second end cap of the fuse body.

13. The vertical fuse box according to claim 8, wherein: The lower section includes an arc-shaped barrier positioned between the lower terminal and the side terminals.

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