Fuse holder

Abstract

A fuse holder that enables a fuse device to be manufactured easily and in a short time. [Solution] A fuse holder (10) for storing a fuse (100) having a fuse element (101) and two lead terminals (102, 103) drawn out from both ends of the fuse element, one of the lead terminals bent so that the one lead terminal and the other lead terminal extend in the same direction, the fuse holder (10) having an opening (22) at the top into which the fuse element (101) can be inserted, and comprising a cylindrical lower case (20) for storing the fuse element (101), and a lid-like upper case (30) fixed to the lower case (20) so as to cover the opening (22); when the fuse element (101) is stored in the lower case (20), the part of the lead terminal (102) that extends in the same direction as the lead terminal (103) is positioned on the outside of the lower case (20), and the upper case (30) has a covering piece (35) that covers this part from the outside.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuse holder. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a vertical fuse holder in which one lead terminal of the fuse element is bent so that the two lead terminals are arranged in parallel in the same direction, and the fuse element is attached vertically to the circuit board. By using this fuse holder, it is possible to reduce the area that the fuse holder occupies on the circuit board, thereby enabling the circuit board to be made smaller.

[0003] A conventional fuse device equipped with this type of fuse holder is the thermal fuse resistor described in Patent Document 1. This thermal fuse resistor is manufactured through the following steps: an element connection step in which a resistor and a thermal fuse are connected in series using four lead terminals; a case injection molding step in which a case for housing the resistor and the thermal fuse is injection-molded using a thermosetting resin; an element insertion step in which the resistor and the thermal fuse are inserted into the housing space of the case with the ends of the lead terminals extended outside the case (fuse holder); a filler filling step in which a slurry-like filler containing silicon dioxide is filled into the case housing the resistor and the thermal fuse; and a filler drying step in which the filler filled inside the case is dried for about one to two days. Here, in the element insertion step, the lead terminals extending from the resistor and the thermal fuse are drawn out to the outside of the case through the drawing holes, and the resistor and the thermal fuse are inserted into the housing space of the case so that they are aligned and facing the opening of the case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5027344 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, the manufacturing process for the thermal fuse resistor (fuse device) disclosed in Patent Document 1 is diverse and complex. Furthermore, according to the manufacturing process for this thermal fuse resistor, a filler is filled in a filler filling step, and the lead terminals arranged vertically are insulated by the filler filled in the case (fuse holder) so that they do not come into contact with each other, and then the filler is dried for about 1 to 2 days in a filler drying step, which results in a very long manufacturing time for the thermal fuse resistor.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a fuse holder that allows a fuse device to be manufactured easily and in a short time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0008] The present invention provides a fuse holder (e.g., fuse holder 10) that accommodates a fuse (e.g., fuse 100) having a fuse element (e.g., fuse element 101) and two lead terminals (e.g., lead terminals 102 and 103) drawn out from both ends of the fuse element, with one lead terminal (e.g., lead terminal 102) bent so that the one lead terminal and the other lead terminal (e.g., lead terminal 103) extend in the same direction, a first case (e.g., a lower case 20) that holds the other lead terminal of the fuse; a second case (for example, an upper case 30) fixed to the first case and housing the fuse element; The two lead terminals are separated by an insulating wall (for example, side surface portion 21) provided on at least one of the first case and the second case so as to be positioned between the two lead terminals.

[0009] With this configuration, the first case and the second case are fixed together, and the two lead terminals are separated by the insulating wall, thereby providing insulation between them. Therefore, there is no need to fill the two lead terminals with a filler or dry the filler, and a fuse holder can be provided that enables the fuse device to be manufactured easily and in a short time.

[0010] wherein the first case is a cylindrical case having an opening at an upper portion into which the fuse element and the other lead terminal can be inserted, and which holds the fuse element and the other lead terminal; The second case is preferably a lid-shaped case fixed to the first case so as to close the opening.

[0011] According to this configuration, the other lead terminal is held in the cylindrical case (first case) and one lead terminal is covered by the lid-shaped case (second case), which provides the above-mentioned effect and also protects the lead terminal from the outside.

[0012] Furthermore, a portion of the one lead terminal that extends in the same direction as the other lead terminal is disposed outside the first case, The second case preferably has a covering portion (for example, covering piece 35) that externally covers a portion of the one lead terminal that extends in the same direction as the other lead terminal.

[0013] This configuration can prevent one of the lead terminals from coming into contact with other elements on the circuit board.

[0014] In the above configuration, the first case has an engagement hole (for example, engagement hole 21a), The second case has a protrusion (for example, protrusion 34a) corresponding to the engagement hole, It is preferable that the fixing is achieved by the engagement of the engagement hole with the projection.

[0015] This configuration can prevent the second case from separating from the first case.

[0016] The first case may have a cutout portion formed by cutting out a part of a side surface of the cylindrical case excluding the insulating wall, and the second case may cover the cutout portion.

[0017] Alternatively, the first case (e.g., the lower case 20 in FIG. 6(b)) may have an insulating wall (e.g., insulating wall 24) inside the case that allows the two lead terminals to be inserted through the opening and separates the two lead terminals.

[0018] According to this configuration, since an insulating wall is interposed between one lead terminal and the other lead terminal, it is possible to completely insulate one lead terminal from the other lead terminal.

[0019] Alternatively, the first case has a storage space having an opening (for example, opening 54) on a side thereof into which the fuse element can be inserted, The second case may be fixed to the first case so as to close the opening of the first case, thereby closing off the storage space.

[0020] This configuration makes it possible to improve the workability of assembling the fuse device while completely insulating one lead terminal from the other lead terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fuse holder that enables a fuse device to be manufactured easily and in a short time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of a fuse device 1 using a fuse holder 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the components of the fuse device 1. [Figure 3]2 is a bottom view showing the structure of the lower part of the fuse device 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a bottom view showing the structure of the lower part of a fuse device 1 using a fuse holder 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a top view showing the structure of the upper part of the lower case 20 in another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing the structure of a fuse device 1 using a fuse holder 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing the structure of a fuse device 1 using a fuse holder 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0024] [Configuration of fuse device 1] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuse device 1 includes a fuse 100 and a fuse holder 10.

[0025] The fuse 100 comprises a cylindrical fuse element 101 that cuts off a circuit when an overcurrent occurs, a lead terminal (one lead terminal) 102 extending from one axial end of the fuse element 101, and a lead terminal (other lead terminal) 103 extending from the other end.

[0026] The fuse holder 10 is made of an insulating material and includes a lower case 20 and an upper case 30.

[0027] The lower case 20 is a container body having a cylindrical side surface portion 21, an opening 22 formed at one axial end of the side surface portion 21, and a bottom surface portion 23 that closes the other axial end of the side surface portion 21. For convenience in the following explanation, the opening 22 side of the lower case 20 will be referred to as the upper side or upper side, and the bottom surface portion 23 side of the lower case 20 will be referred to as the lower side or lower side.

[0028] Two engagement holes 21a, 21a are formed in the upper part of the side surface portion 21. The engagement holes 21a, 21a face each other across the central axis of the side surface portion 21. A through hole 23a is formed in the center of the bottom surface portion 23.

[0029] The upper case 30 is a lid that covers the opening 22 of the lower case 20 and has a cylindrical side portion 31, an opening 32 formed at one axial end (lower) of the side portion 31, and an upper surface portion 33 that closes the other axial end (upper) of the side portion 31.

[0030] When viewed from above, the top surface portion 33 has an oval shape formed by combining a semicircle with each of two sides extending along the longitudinal direction of a rectangle. The diameter of the semicircle and the long side of the rectangle are slightly longer than the diameter of the side surface portion 21, and the short side of the rectangle is equal to the radius of the semicircle.

[0031] A pair of extension pieces 34, 34 and a covering piece 35 extend downward from the edge of the opening 32 of the side surface portion 31. The pair of extension pieces 34, 34 extend in a plate-like shape from portions of the edge of the opening 32 of the side surface portion 31 that face both ends of one semicircular portion of the top surface portion 33 and a portion of a short side of a rectangular portion that is continuous with these ends. The pair of extension pieces 34, 34 have the properties of a leaf spring that can elastically deform in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular portion. Protrusions 34a, 34a that can engage with the engagement holes 21a, 21a are formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of extension pieces 34, 34.

[0032] The covering piece 35 extends downward from the edge of the opening 32 of the side surface portion 31, facing the other semicircular portion of the top surface portion 33, and is formed in the shape of a semicircular curved plate. The semicircular opening at the lower end of the covering piece 35 is closed by a semicircular bottom surface portion 36, which is formed in the shape of a semicircular plate. As shown in FIG. 3, a notch 36a is formed in the center of the straight portion of the semicircular bottom surface portion 36, extending perpendicular to the straight portion. It is desirable that the length of the notch 36a in the extending direction be greater than the diameter of the lead terminal 102.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, when the upper case 30 is placed over the lower case 20 and the protrusions 34a, 34a are engaged with the engagement holes 21a, 21a, the lower end of the covering piece 35 and the lower end of the side portion 21 are positioned in the same position, and the lower surface of the bottom portion 23 and the lower surface of the semicircular bottom portion 36 are included in the same imaginary plane.

[0034] [How to assemble fuse device 1] Next, a method for assembling the fuse device 1 will be described. 2, lead terminal 102 is bent in advance into a substantially J-shape. At this time, lead terminal 102 extends upward from one end of fuse element 101, extends horizontally from a predetermined portion inside upper case 30, and extends downward from a portion slightly longer than the radius of side surface portion 21. This downward extending portion is substantially parallel to lead terminal 103.

[0035] Next, fuse element 101 is inserted into lower case 20, and lead terminal 103 is passed through through hole 23a to expose the tip of lead terminal 103 to the outside. At this time, the downward extending portion of lead terminal 102 is disposed outside lower case 20.

[0036] Then, the upper case 30 is placed over the lower case 20, the lead terminals 102 are placed inside the cutouts 36a, and while maintaining this state, the upper case 30 is pushed downward to engage the protrusions 34a, 34a with the engagement holes 21a, 21a. This fixes the lower case 20 and the upper case 30 together, making it difficult for the upper case 30 to separate from the lower case 20. In this manner, the fuse device 1 is assembled.

[0037] The above-described assembly method is merely one example, and other assembly methods are also possible. For example, instead of bending the lead terminals 102 into a generally J-shape in advance, the fuse element 101 may be inserted into the lower case 20, the lead terminals 103 may be passed through the through-holes 23a, and then the lead terminals 102 may be bent horizontally. The upper case 30 may then be placed over the lower case 20 from above, the lead terminals 102 may be placed inside the cutouts 36a, and the upper case 30 may then be pushed downward to engage the protrusions 34a, 34a with the engagement holes 21a, 21a. This allows the lead terminals 102 to abut against the edges of the opening 22 of the lower case 20 when the upper case 30 is pushed downward, causing the lead terminals 102 to bend at the abutting portions, thereby extending the ends of the lead terminals 102 downward.

[0038] [Action and effect] According to this embodiment, the fuse device 1 is constructed by inserting the fuse element 101 into the lower case 20, placing the upper case 30 over the lower case 20, and fixing the upper case 30 to the lower case 20. This eliminates the need for a conventional process of filling and drying a slurry filler such as a bond, and significantly reduces the manufacturing time.

[0039] Additionally, upper case 30 is disposed on the lead terminal 102 side, lower case 20 is disposed on the lead terminal 103 side, and cylindrical side surface portion 21 is disposed between fuse element 101 and lead terminal 103, and lead terminal 102. Therefore, side surface portion 21 serves as an insulating wall, making it possible to completely insulate lead terminal 102 from lead terminal 103.

[0040] Furthermore, the downwardly extending portion of the lead terminal 102 is relatively long and elastically deformable, and the length of the notch 36a is greater than the diameter of the lead terminal 102, allowing the tip of the lead terminal 102 to move within the range of the notch 36a. This reduces the effort required to bend the lead terminals 102 and 103 to fit the holes in the substrate. The size of the notch 36a can also be adjusted as appropriate. For example, the width and length of the notch 36a may be increased to increase the range of movement of the tip of the lead terminal 102, or the width and length of the notch 36a may be decreased to decrease the range of movement of the tip of the lead terminal 102.

[0041] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the covering piece 35 has a semicircular bottom surface 36 at its lower portion. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the semicircular bottom surface 36 may be omitted. The absence of the notch 36a allows for a greater range of movement for the tip of the lead terminal 102. The size of the through hole 23a in the bottom surface 23 can also be adjusted as appropriate. By enlarging the through hole 23a, the range of movement for the tip of the lead terminal 102 can be increased, making it easier to insert the tips of the lead terminals 102 and 103 into holes in the substrate. Furthermore, the engagement hole 21a may be either a through hole or a non-through recessed hole, as long as it has a shape that allows it to engage with the protrusion 34a.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, the upper end of the side surface portion 21 may have a plate-like extension piece 21b extending perpendicularly to the line connecting the centers of the two engagement holes 21a and having a semicircular recess with a radius equal to that of the lead terminal 102. After inserting the fuse 100 into the lower case 20 configured in this manner, the lead terminal 102 is bent toward the extension piece 21b, abutting the lead terminal 102 against the extension piece 21b, and this abutting portion is bent so that the lead terminal 102 faces downward and abuts against the recess in the extension piece 21b. Then, by attaching the upper case 30 to the lower case 20, the length of the horizontal portion of the lead terminal 102 is adjusted to a constant length, thereby maintaining a predetermined distance between the lead terminals 102 and 103. While the extension piece 21b shown in FIG. 5 extends from the upper end of the side surface portion 21, it may also extend from another location. For example, it may extend from the upper end or the center of the side surface portion 21. Furthermore, a plurality of extension pieces 21b may extend from the side surface portion 21.

[0043] A fuse device 1 using a fuse holder 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7. In Figures 6 and 7, the same components as those shown in Figures 1 to 5 or components with the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the lower case 20 has a cylindrical side surface portion 21, but as shown in FIG. 6(a), the cylindrical side surface portion 21 may be formed by fixing the lower case 20 and the upper case 30 together.

[0045] Specifically, the lower case 20 has a cutout 21c in part of the side surface 21, where part of the side surface of the cylindrical case is cut out, and the upper case 30 has an adapting piece 37 that extends from the edge of the side surface 31 in the same direction as the extension direction of the covering piece 35 and fits into the cutout 21c.

[0046] Then, by inserting fuse element 101 into lower case 20 and fixing upper case 30 to lower case 20, notch 21c is covered by fitting piece 37, and side surface 21 and fitting piece 37 form a cylindrical shape, so that the periphery of fuse element 101 is covered by lower case 20 and upper case 30. Moreover, side surface 21 acts as an insulating wall, making it possible to completely insulate lead terminals 102 and 103.

[0047] By configuring in this manner, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, if the side portion 21 of the lower case 20 is long, it becomes difficult to insert the lead terminal 103 into the through hole 23a. However, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6(a), the lead terminal 103 can be inserted into the inside of the side portion 21 from the cutout portion 21c, making it easier to insert the lead terminal 103 into the through hole 23a.

[0048] In addition, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the covering piece 35 of the upper case 30 covers the portion of the lead terminal 102 that extends downward within the fuse holder 10, but as shown in Figure 6(b), the lower case 20 may be configured to cover the portion of the lead terminal 102 that extends downward within the fuse holder 10.

[0049] Specifically, lower case 20 is a bottomed cylinder having cylindrical side portion 21 and bottom portion 23. The interior of lower case 20 is partitioned by insulating wall 24, forming two storage spaces. Two through holes 23b, 23c are formed in bottom portion 23, sandwiching insulating wall 24. Upper case 30 has an opening of approximately the same size as the outer edge of opening 22 of lower case 20, and is configured with covering piece 35 removed.

[0050] Then, lead terminals 103 and fuse element 101 are inserted into one storage space of lower case 20, and lead terminal 102 is inserted into the other storage space and passed through through holes 23b and 23c, causing lead terminals 102 and 103 to protrude outside lower case 20. Finally, the opening of lower case 20 is closed with upper case 30, thereby storing fuse element 101 in the fuse holder of another embodiment. Lead terminals 102 and 103 are held by through holes 23b and 23c so that lateral movement is minimized.

[0051] By configuring it in this manner, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6(b), when the upper case 30 comes off the lower case 20 or when the covering piece 35 is damaged, the lead terminal 102 can be prevented from being exposed to the outside.

[0052] In addition, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the lead terminals 103 and the fuse element 101 are inserted into the lower case 20 from above, and then the upper case 30 is fixed to the opening of the lower case 20 from above.However, as shown in Figure 7, the fuse element 101 may be inserted from the side of one case, and the other case may be placed on the side of the one case to fix them in place.

[0053] 7 includes a left case 50 and a right case 60. The left case 50 includes a main body 51 having a storage space with an opening into which the fuse element 101 can be inserted, and an insulating wall 52 that is disposed in the center of the interior of the main body 51 and divides the storage space of the main body 51 into two equal parts.

[0054] The main body 51 is composed of a curved side surface 51a, a semicircular top surface 51b that closes the upper part of the side surface 51a, and a semicircular bottom surface 51c that closes the lower part of the side surface 51a. The top surface 51b and the bottom surface 51c are shaped by dividing the top surface 33 of the upper case 30 shown in Figure 1 in half along the longitudinal direction. Because the side surface 51a of the main body 51 is curved, an opening 54 is formed on the side.

[0055] Furthermore, semicircular notches 53 are formed on both sides of insulating wall 52 at bottom surface portion 51c on the edge of opening 54. A gap is also formed between top surface portion 51b and insulating wall 52.

[0056] In addition, at the edge of the opening 54, an engagement hole 55 is formed on one edge of the side surface portion 51a, and a protrusion 56 is formed on the other edge that can engage with an engagement hole 65 formed in the right case 60 described later.

[0057] The right case 60 is plane-symmetrical to the left case 50, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The right case 60 includes a main body portion 61, a side surface portion 61a, a top surface portion 51b, a bottom surface portion 51c, an insulating wall 52, a notch 63, an engaging hole 65, and a protrusion 66, which correspond to the main body portion 51, a side surface portion 51a, a top surface portion 51b, a bottom surface portion 51c, an insulating wall 52, a notch 63, an engaging hole 65, and a protrusion 66 of the left case 50.

[0058] Then, the fuse element 101 is inserted from the side into the left case 50 through the opening 54, and the fuse element 101 is housed in one of the housing spaces, with the lead terminal 103 placed in one of the notches 53. The bent portion of the lead terminal 102 is placed in the gap between the upper surface 51b and the insulating wall 52, and the lead terminal 102 is placed in the other notch 53. Next, the right case 60 is assembled to the left case 50 from the side so as to close the opening 54 of the left case 50, and the engagement holes 55 and the protrusions 66, and the engagement holes 65 and the protrusions 56, are engaged and fixed. At this time, the ends of the insulating walls 52 and 62 come into contact and form a single plate. The notches 53 and 63 fit together to form a circular through-hole. In this manner, the fuse element 101 is housed in the fuse holder 10.

[0059] 1, if the lower case 20 is long, it can be difficult to insert the lead terminals 103 into the through holes 23a, but according to another embodiment shown in Fig. 7, by placing the lead terminals 102, 103 in the notches 53, it becomes possible to make the lead terminals 102, 103 protrude outside the case when the left case 50 and the right case 60 are fixed together. In this way, the workability of assembling the fuse device 1 can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Fuse device 10 Fuse holder 20 Lower case 21 Side part 21a Engagement hole 21b Extension piece 22 Aperture 23 Bottom part 23a Through hole 24 Insulating Wall 30 Upper case 31 Side part 32 Aperture 33 Top part 34 Extended piece 34a protrusion 35 Covering piece 36 Semicircular bottom part 36a notch 50 Left case 51 Main body 51a Side part 51b Top part 51c Bottom part 52 Insulating Wall 53 Notch 54 Aperture 60 Right Case 61 Main body 61a Side part 61b Top part 61c Bottom part 62 Insulating Wall 63 Notch 100 fuse 101 Fuse element 102 Lead terminal 103 Lead terminal

Claims

1. A fuse holder that houses a fuse having a fuse element and two lead terminals drawn out from both ends of the fuse element, with one lead terminal bent so that the one lead terminal and the other lead terminal extend in the same direction, a first case that holds the other lead terminal of the fuse; a second case fixed to the first case and housing the fuse element; a fuse holder, wherein the two lead terminals are separated by an insulating wall provided in at least one of the first case and the second case so as to be disposed between the two lead terminals;

2. the first case is a cylindrical case having an opening at an upper portion into which the fuse element and the other lead terminal can be inserted, and which holds the fuse element and the other lead terminal; 2. The fuse holder according to claim 1, wherein the second case is a lid-like case fixed to the first case so as to cover the opening.

3. a portion of the one lead terminal that extends in the same direction as the other lead terminal is disposed outside the first case, 3. The fuse holder according to claim 2, wherein the second case has a covering portion that externally covers a portion of the one lead terminal that extends in the same direction as the other lead terminal.

4. the first case has an engagement hole; the second case has a protrusion corresponding to the engagement hole, 4. The fuse holder according to claim 1, wherein the fuse holder is fixed by engagement of the engagement hole with the projection.

5. the first case has a notch formed by cutting out a part of a side surface of the cylindrical case excluding the insulating wall, 3. The fuse holder according to claim 2, wherein the second case covers the notch.

6. 3. The fuse holder according to claim 2, wherein the first case has an insulating wall inside the case, the insulating wall separating the two lead terminals, and the first case has an insulating wall inside the case, the insulating wall separating the two lead terminals.

7. the first case has a storage space on a side thereof having an opening through which the fuse element can be inserted, 2. The fuse holder according to claim 1, wherein the second case is fixed to the first case so as to close the opening of the first case, thereby closing off the storage space.

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