High-current compatible circuit protection element

Abstract

We provide circuit protection elements capable of handling high currents. [Solution] The fuse element comprises a casing 10 having an opening and an internal space 11, a fuse element inserted into the opening of the casing 10, a lid 30 covering the opening of the casing 10, and a sealant 40 covering the lid 30. The fuse element includes one fusible plate 21 and two conductive plates 22. The fusible plate 21 is positioned between the conductive plates 22 and connected to them. The thickness of the fusible plate 21 is less than the thickness of the conductive plates 22. The fusible plate 21 is provided in the internal space 11 of the casing 10, and the conductive plates 22 extend from the internal space 11 of the casing 10 to the outside of the casing 10 through the opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protection element, which is an electronic component used in a circuit to generate a fusing effect to protect the circuit when an overcurrent occurs.

Background Art

[0002] With the development of technology, many devices that use large currents have emerged, such as energy storage devices for renewable energy and battery packs for electric vehicles. These devices may require rapid charging and discharging. For example, an artificial intelligence (AI) computing device consumes a large current during high-speed computing. Most conventional surface-mounted circuit protection elements can only withstand currents within 100 amperes. However, the aforementioned large-current devices often require currents of 150 amperes or more. Therefore, the development of circuit protection elements that can withstand large currents is an urgent need.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the above-described prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a circuit protection element capable of coping with a large current that can withstand a large current of 150 amperes or more.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] The circuit protection element according to the present invention for achieving the above object is characterized in that it includes a casing having an opening and an internal space, a fuse element inserted into the opening of the casing, a lid covering the opening of the casing, a sealing body covering the lid, and is provided with The fuse element includes one fusible plate and two conductive plates, the fusible plate being positioned between the conductive plates and connected to these conductive plates. The thickness of the cutting plate is smaller than the thickness of the conductive plate. The cutting plate is provided in the internal space of the casing, and the conductive plate extends from the internal space of the casing to the outside of the casing through an opening.

[0005] The circuit protection element according to the present invention has the advantage of being able to withstand relatively large currents by increasing the thickness of the conductive plate and thereby increasing the cross-sectional area, which reduces the resistance value.

[0006] More specifically, the fuse plate includes two connecting portions and two fuse portions, each of which is connected to a corresponding conductive plate, and the fuse portions are connected across the connecting portions such that a central hole is defined by the fuse portions and the connecting portions. The configuration of the two fuse portions in the fuse plate allows the current to be divided when it flows through the fuse element, thereby enabling the circuit protection element according to the present invention to withstand even larger currents. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the circuit protection element according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded view showing some of the components of the circuit protection element according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a side view cross-sectional view of the circuit protection element according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing some of the components of a circuit protection element according to the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing a fuse element in a circuit protection device according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing a fuse element of another embodiment. [Figure 7]This is a perspective view showing a fuse element of yet another embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a side cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the circuit protection element according to the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a plan view showing some of the components of the circuit protection element according to the present invention in use. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The technical means employed to achieve the intended objectives of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings and using embodiments. Here, the drawings are simplified, as they are merely for illustrating the present invention relating to a structure or method by illustrating the relationships between the components and their assemblies. Therefore, the components shown in the drawings are not shown in their actual number, actual shape, actual dimensions and scale, and the dimensions or scale of the components shown in the drawings are enlarged or simplified. For the sake of easier understanding, the components in the drawings have been appropriately modified from their actual number, actual shape, actual dimensions and scale, although the actual layout of the elements may be more complex.

[0009] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the circuit protection element according to the present invention comprises a casing 10, a fuse element 20, a cover 30, and a sealant 40.

[0010] The casing 10 has an internal space 11 and an opening 12. In one embodiment, the casing 10 has four side walls 101 and one bottom wall 102. The four side walls 101 extend perpendicularly from the four sides of the bottom wall 102 so as to define the internal space 11 and the opening 12 facing the bottom wall 102. In one embodiment, the casing 10 has two opposing first sides 13 and two opposing second sides 14, the first sides 13 and the second sides 14 being adjacent to each other and connected. Four positioning blocks 15 are provided within the internal space 11, each of which is located at one of the four corners of the internal space 11. That is, each positioning block 15 is located at the boundary between adjacent first sides 13 and second sides 14. Each positioning block 15 has a short wall 151 positioned along the corresponding first side 13 and a long wall 152 positioned along the corresponding second side 14.

[0011] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fuse element 20 is inserted into the opening 12 of the casing 10 and includes one fuse plate 21 and two conductive plates 22. The fuse plate 21 is positioned between the conductive plates 22 and connected to them, and the thickness of the fuse plate 21 is less than the thickness of the conductive plates 22. The fuse plate 21 is provided in the internal space 11 of the casing 10. The conductive plates 22 extend from the internal space 11 of the casing 10 to the outside of the casing 10 through the opening 12. The fuse plate 21 includes two connecting portions 211 and two fuse portions 212. Each connecting portion 211 is connected to the corresponding conductive plate 22. The fuse portions 212 are connected across the connecting portions 211 such that a central hole 213 is defined by the fuse portions 212 and the connecting portions 211. In one embodiment, each conductive plate 22 extends outward from the casing 10 while in contact with a corresponding side wall 101 in the casing 10. In one embodiment (see Figure 5), the fuse plate 21 and the conductive plate 22 are not integrally formed but are connected to each other (e.g., by welding). In another embodiment (see Figure 6), the fuse plate 21A and the conductive plate 22A in the fuse element 20A are integrally formed. In yet another embodiment (see Figure 7), one end of the fuse plate 21B and one of the conductive plates 22B in the fuse element 20B are integrally formed, while the other end of the fuse plate 21B and the other conductive plate 22B are not integrally formed but are connected to each other (e.g., by welding). In one embodiment, each conductive plate 22 is configured such that a portion of its edge abuts against the short walls 151 between the short walls 151 of the corresponding positioning block 15. This configuration makes assembly easier because, during assembly of the fuse element 20, it is possible to position a portion of the fuse element 20 within the internal space 11 of the casing 10 while aligning the edge of the conductive plate 22 between the short walls 151 of the positioning block 15. Normally, the fuse element 20 is in a flat state as shown in Figure 5 before assembly, and the conductive plate 22 is bent into the state shown in Figures 1 to 4 during assembly.In one embodiment, the material of the fuse element 20 is a metal such as silver, copper, nickel, tin, aluminum, or zinc, or an alloy thereof. In one embodiment, the material of the fuse element 20 is silver or copper, and in one embodiment, the materials of the fuse plate 21 and the conductive plate 22 are different from each other. In other embodiments, the materials of the fuse plate 21 and the conductive plate 22 are the same.

[0012] The cover 30 is fitted over the opening 12 of the casing 10 so as to conceal the fuse plate 21 of the fuse element 20 within the internal space 11 of the casing 10. In one embodiment, the material of the cover 30 is ceramic or plastic. In one embodiment (see Figure 8), the cover 30 is fitted over the internal space 11 after the explosion-proof material 50 has been filled. The explosion-proof material 50 is for extinguishing electric arcs that may be caused by the instantaneous high heat generated when the fuse plate 21 begins to melt due to an overcurrent. In one embodiment, the explosion-proof material 50 is silica sand, explosion-proof sand, ceramic sand, glass fiber, or a flame retardant. The flame retardant material can be melamine, magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, etc.

[0013] The sealant 40 is placed over the lid 30. In one embodiment, the material of the sealant 40 is silicone, epoxy resin, nylon, or engineering plastic.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, when in use, the circuit protection element according to the present invention is arranged in series at a predetermined position in the circuit such that the conductive plate 22 is electrically connected to the corresponding electronic component. When a current exceeding the load flows, the fusing portion 212 is fused to cut off the circuit, thereby protecting the circuit. By configuring the conductive plate 22 to have a relatively large thickness, its cross-sectional area becomes relatively large, and thus the resistance value can be effectively reduced. Also, by configuring the fusing plate 21 to have two fusing portions 212, the current can be shunted when flowing. With these configurations, the circuit protection element according to the present invention can withstand a relatively large current.

[0015] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical idea of the present invention and make them equivalent. Therefore, the content obtained by making changes, modifications, and alterations to the above embodiments is also included in the technical idea of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0016] 10: Casing 101: Side Wall 102: Bottom Wall 11: Internal Space 12: Opening 13: First Side 14: Second Side 15: Positioning Block 151: Short Wall 152: Long Wall 20, 20A, 20B: Fuse Element 21, 21A, 21B: Fusing Plate 211: Connecting Portion 212: Fusing Portion 213: Central Hole 22, 22A, 22B: Conductive Plate 30: Lid 40: Sealing Body 50: Explosion-Proof Material

Claims

1. A casing having an opening and an internal space, A fuse element inserted into the opening of the casing, A lid covering the opening of the casing, The sealing body covering the lid, A circuit protection element comprising, The fuse element includes one fusible plate and two conductive plates, the fusible plate being positioned between the conductive plates and connected to these conductive plates. The thickness of the cutting plate is smaller than the thickness of the conductive plate. A circuit protection element wherein the cutting plate is provided in the internal space of the casing, and the conductive plate extends from the internal space of the casing to the outside of the casing through the opening.

2. The cutting plate includes two connecting portions and two cutting portions, Each of the aforementioned connecting parts is connected to the corresponding conductive plate. The circuit protection element according to claim 1, wherein the cutting portion is connected across the connecting portion such that a central hole is defined by the cutting portion and the connecting portion.

3. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting plate and the conductive plate are not integrally formed but are connected to each other.

4. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting plate and the conductive plate are integrally formed.

5. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the cutting plate and one of the conductive plates are integrally formed, and the other end of the cutting plate and the other of the conductive plates are not integrally formed but are connected to each other.

6. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the materials of the cutting plate and the conductive plate are the same.

7. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the materials of the cutting plate and the conductive plate are different from each other.

8. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing has four side walls and one bottom wall, and the four side walls extend vertically from the four sides of the bottom wall so as to define the internal space and the opening facing the bottom wall.

9. The casing has two first sides facing each other and two second sides facing each other, and the first sides and the second sides are adjacent to each other and connected. Four positioning blocks are provided within the internal space, and each of the positioning blocks is provided at the boundary between the adjacent first side and the second side. Each positioning block has a short wall positioned along the corresponding first side and a long wall positioned along the corresponding second side. The circuit protection element according to claim 8, wherein each conductive plate is configured such that a portion of its edge abuts against the short walls between the corresponding short walls of the positioning block.

10. The circuit protection element according to claim 8, wherein each of the conductive plates extends out of the casing while in contact with the corresponding side wall of the casing.

11. The circuit protection element according to claim 9, wherein each of the conductive plates extends out of the casing while in contact with the corresponding side wall of the casing.

12. The circuit protection element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the internal space of the casing is filled with explosion-proof material.

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