Method for forming a fuse having a silicone element - Patents.com

Abstract

To solve the problem in which it may be insufficient to quickly erase arcs that occur in some fuses, such as small, high-voltage direct current (DC) fuses, and to provide a method that can supplement the arc-erasing capability of a fuse assembly in some applications.SOLUTION: An approach is provided for forming a fusible element assembly. An arc suppressant (e.g., silicone) is deposited on a fusible element. The arc suppressant is supplied to the fusible element at multiple angles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to circuit protection devices, and more particularly to a method of forming a fuse apparatus having a silicone element. [Background technology]

[0002] Fuses are widely used as overcurrent protection devices to prevent costly damage to electrical circuits. The fuse terminals typically form an electrical connection between a power source or supply and an electrical component or combination of components disposed in the electrical circuit. One or more fusible elements are connected between the fuse terminals such that when the current through the fuse exceeds a predetermined limit, the fusible elements melt and open one or more circuits through the fuse to prevent damage to the electrical components.

[0003] Electrical arcs sometimes occur along the fusible element, especially at the site of melting under overcurrent conditions. If the arc persists for an extended period of time, it may rupture the housing in which the fusible element is contained. To minimize the duration of an arcing event, the fusible element may be embedded in an arc-quenching material that is disposed within the housing and that absorbs over time the evaporated metal that sustains the arc. However, the arc-quenching material alone may be insufficient to quickly extinguish an arc that occurs in some fuses, such as, for example, small, high-voltage direct current (DC) fuses. Therefore, in some applications, it is desirable to supplement the arc-quenching capabilities of the fuse assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In some embodiments, an apparatus can include providing a fusible element and depositing a silicone material onto the fusible element, where the silicone material is delivered to the fusible element at multiple angles.

[0005] In some embodiments, a method of depositing a silicone material on a fusible element may include providing a fusible element, the fusible element including a series of solid sections connected by bridges, and depositing a silicone material on the fusible element. The silicone material may be delivered to the fusible element at multiple angles to form silicone material along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element.

[0006] In some embodiments, a method of forming a fuse assembly may include providing a fusible element and forming an arc suppression band around the fusible element, where material of the arc suppression band is supplied to the fusible element at multiple angles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a fuse apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a fuse apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0008] [Diagram 2] 4 is a flow chart of a method of forming a fuse device in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0009] The drawings are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are merely diagrammatic representations and are not intended to portray specific parameters of the present disclosure. The drawings are intended to depict exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered limiting in scope. In the drawings, like numbers represent like elements.

[0010] Additionally, certain elements in some of the figures may be omitted or not drawn to scale for clarity of illustration. The cross-sectional views may be in the form of a "slice" or "myoscopic" cross-section, in which certain background lines that would otherwise be visible in a "true" cross-section are omitted for clarity of illustration. Additionally, some reference numbers may be omitted in certain figures for clarity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Fuse devices and assemblies according to the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the systems and methods are shown. The fuse devices and assemblies may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the systems and methods to those skilled in the art.

[0012] The approach herein provides a solution for forming a silicone ring around a fusible element using a silicone jetting process. The silicone jetting process may involve a jet dispenser repeatedly cycling on and off at high frequency to break up a silicone stream into a series of small beads or droplets. The jet dispenser may accelerate and deliver the silicone droplets onto the fusible element at various angles. This silicone jetting process may be a non-contact and selective silicone forming process.

[0013] 1A-1B, an exemplary embodiment of a fuse apparatus / assembly (hereinafter, "assembly") 100 according to the present disclosure is shown. The exemplary assembly 100 may include one or more fusible elements 110 extending between a first end 112 and a second end 114. Without limitation, the fusible element 110 may be suitable, for example, in a cartridge fuse. In an exemplary embodiment, the fusible element 110 is contained within a housing (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the fusible element 110 has a generally rectangular planar shape, although in other embodiments, the fusible element 110 may have any suitable planar shape. Additionally, the fusible element 110 may be folded to define any suitable number of segments shaped and oriented relative to one another in any suitable manner to define any suitable surface contour.

[0014] In some embodiments, each of the fusible elements 110 may include multiple solid sections 118 joined together by conductive bridges 120 between which a set of apertures may be provided. In various embodiments, the solid sections 118 and / or the conductive bridges 120 may have the same or reduced thickness compared to other portions of the fusible element 110. Additionally, each of the fusible elements 110 may have sections 124 that are bent or curved in shape. Each of the fusible elements 110 may have sections with smaller cross-sections and / or regions with lower melting points, such as tin, silver, lead, nickel, or alloys thereof. Although not shown, the housing may include a filler material adjacent to the fusible element 110. Various components of the housing may be made of insulating materials, such as insulating plastics, e.g., nylon, glass-filled nylon, polyester, and polycarbonate.

[0015] During operation of the assembly 100, electrical arcs may occur along the fusible element 110. Arcs tend to occur more frequently at weakened conductive bridges 120. To address these arcs, the assembly 100 may further include a number of arc suppression disks or bands 140 formed around the fusible element 110. As shown, the suppression bands 140 may be formed at different points along the fusible element 110 between the first end 112 and the second end 114. In some embodiments, the bands 140 are formed from a silicone material that is delivered to the fusible element 110 via a plasma jet 145. The silicone material may be delivered as a series of droplets 146 by cycling the plasma jet 145 between an “on” state and an “off” state to interrupt the flow of the silicone material. As shown, the plasma jet 145 may be spaced apart from the fusible element 110, so that deposition is selective and non-contact.

[0016] During the formation of the band 140, the fusible element and / or the plasma jet 145 may be rotated relative to one another such that the silicone material completely surrounds the fusible element 110. For example, the band 140 may be formed along the top surface 148, the bottom surface 150, and each side surface 152. In some embodiments, the silicone material may be dispensed while the plasma jet 145 is held in each of at least four different positions relative to the fusible element 110. As a result, the droplets 146 may be dispensed onto the fusible element 110 at a number of different angles to ensure the desired formation. Without being limiting, the band 140 may generally assume a square, rectangular, or cubic shape. In other embodiments, the band 140 may generally assume a cylindrical or disc shape.

[0017] In some embodiments, the droplets 146 may be applied to the fusible element 110 while the silicone material is in its liquid state. The silicone material may then be cured (or otherwise allowed to harden) into a hard or semi-hard coating to form the bands 140. To avoid overly encapsulating the fusible element 110 and therefore interfering with the normal functionality of the fusible element 110, the bands 140 may be attached only to selected areas of the fusible element 110.

[0018] 1A, the droplets 146 may be dispensed along a negative y-direction to form the silicone material on a top surface 148 of the fusible element 110. As shown in FIG. 1B, the droplets 146 may be dispensed along a positive x / z-direction to form the silicone material along a side surface 152 of the fusible element 110. In yet other embodiments, the plasma jet 145 may be directed to dispense the droplets 146 on a corner section 158 of the band 140. It should be understood that both the plasma jet 145 and the fusible element 110 may be translated, rotated, shifted, etc. relative to one another to determine the formation of the band 140 along the fusible element 110.

[0019] 2, a method 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. At block 201, the method 200 may include providing a fusible element. In some embodiments, the fusible element may include multiple solid sections separated by bridges.

[0020] At block 203, the method 200 may include depositing a silicone material on the fusible element, where the silicone material is fed to the fusible element at multiple angles. In some embodiments, the silicone material forms multiple bands around the fusible element. In some embodiments, the silicone material is formed along each of the top surface of the fusible element, the bottom surface of the fusible element, and the sides of the fusible element. In some embodiments, the silicone material is deposited using a plasma jet. In some embodiments, the method may include cycling the plasma jet between an "on" state and an "off" state while depositing the silicone material. In some embodiments, the method may include rotating the plasma jet and the fusible element relative to one another to form the silicone material around the fusible element. In some embodiments, the method may include depositing the silicone material as a series of droplets. In some embodiments, the method may further include moving the plasma jet away from the fusible element while the silicone material is being deposited. In some embodiments, the method may include feeding the silicone material to the fusible element while the plasma jet is held in each of at least four different positions relative to the fusible element. In some embodiments, the method can include forming a silicone material around the fusible element at a plurality of points between the first end and the second end of the fusible element.

[0021] The above discussion is presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure to one or more forms disclosed herein. For example, various features of the present disclosure may be grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that various features of a particular aspect, embodiment, or configuration of the present disclosure may be combined in alternative aspects, embodiments, or configurations. Moreover, the following claims are incorporated into this detailed description by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] As used herein, elements or steps described in the singular following the word "a" or "an" are to be understood as not excluding a plurality of elements or steps, unless expressly stated to exclude a plurality of elements or steps. Moreover, references to "one embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0023] The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is intended to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Thus, the terms "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof are open-ended and can be used interchangeably herein.

[0024] The phrases "at least one," "one or more," and "and / or," as used herein, are open-ended expressions that function both conjunctively and non-conjunctively. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B, and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C," and "A, B, and / or C" means A only, B only, C only, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.

[0025] All directional designations (e.g., proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, longitudinal, forward, rear, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, radial, axial, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are used for identification purposes only to aid in the reader's understanding of this disclosure and do not create limitations on the location, orientation, or use of the disclosure, among others. Connection designations (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and joined) should be interpreted broadly and may include intermediate members between groups of elements and relative movement between the elements, unless otherwise indicated. Thus, connection designations do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected in a fixed relationship to each other.

[0026] Further, identifying designators (e.g., primary, secondary, first, second, tertiary, fourth, etc.) are not intended to imply importance or priority, but are used to distinguish one feature from another. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and the dimensions, positions, order, and relative sizes reflected in the drawings attached hereto may vary.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "substantially" or "substantially" and "approximately" or "nearly" can be used interchangeably in some embodiments and can be described using any relative measurement acceptable to those skilled in the art. For example, these terms can serve as a comparison to a reference parameter to indicate a deviation that can provide the intended function. Without being limiting, the deviation from the reference parameter can be, for example, less than 1%, less than 3%, less than 5%, less than 10%, less than 15%, less than 20%, etc.

[0028] The present disclosure is not limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. Indeed, other various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure, in addition to those described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. Thus, such other embodiments and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the present disclosure has been described herein in the context of specific implementations in specific environments for specific purposes. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the usefulness is not limited thereto, and the present disclosure may be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Thus, the claims set forth below should be construed in light of the full breadth and spirit of the present disclosure as described herein. (Other possible items) [Item 1] Providing a fusible element; depositing a silicone material onto the fusible element; Equipped with A method of forming a fuse assembly, wherein the silicone material is applied to the fusible element at multiple angles. [Item 2] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicone material is formed along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element. [Item 3] 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising depositing the silicone material as a series of droplets. [Item 4] 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising depositing the silicone material using a plasma jet. [Item 5] 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising cycling the plasma jet between an "on" state and an "off" state while depositing the silicone material. [Item 6] 6. The method of claim 4 or 5, further comprising rotating the plasma jet and the fusible element relative to one another to form the silicone material around the fusible element. [Item 7] 7. The method of any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising moving the plasma jet away from the fusible element while the silicone material is being deposited. [Item 8] 8. The method of any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising applying the silicone material to the fusible element while the plasma jet is held in each of at least four different positions relative to the fusible element. [Item 9] 1. A method for depositing a silicone material onto a fusible element, comprising: providing the fusible element; depositing the silicone material onto the fusible element; Equipped with the fusible element includes a series of solid sections connected by bridges; The method, wherein the silicone material is applied to the fusible element at a plurality of angles to form the silicone material along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element. [Item 10] 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising depositing the silicone material using a plasma jet. [Item 11] Item 11. The method of item 10, further comprising cycling the plasma jet between an "on" state and an "off" state while depositing the silicone material. [Item 12] 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, further comprising rotating the plasma jet and the fusible element relative to one another to form the silicone material around the fusible element. [Item 13] 13. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising depositing the silicone material as a series of droplets. [Item 14] 14. The method of any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising separating the plasma jet from the fusible element while the silicone material is being deposited. [Item 15] Item 15. The method of any one of items 11 to 14, further comprising applying the silicone material to the fusible element while the plasma jet is held in each of at least four different positions relative to the fusible element. [Item 16] Item 16. The method of any one of items 9 to 15, further comprising forming the silicone material around the fusible element at a plurality of points between a first end and a second end of the fusible element. [Item 17] Providing a fusible element; forming an arc suppression band around the fusible element; Equipped with A method of forming a fuse assembly, wherein the arc suppression band material is fed to the fusible element at multiple angles. [Item 18] Item 18. The method of item 17, further comprising forming the arc suppression band along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element. [Item 19] 19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein forming the arc suppression band comprises using a plasma jet to deposit a silicone material onto the fusible element as a series of droplets, the silicone material being deposited while the plasma jet and the fusible element are rotated relative to one another. [Item 20] 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising cycling the plasma jet between an "on" state and an "off" state to deposit the silicone material as the series of droplets.

Claims

1. Providing a fusible element; depositing a silicone material onto the fusible element; depositing the silicone material as a series of droplets; Equipped with A method of forming a fuse assembly, wherein the silicone material is applied to the fusible element at multiple angles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silicone material is formed along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising depositing the silicone material using a plasma jet.

4. Providing a fusible element; depositing a silicone material onto the fusible element; depositing said silicone material using a plasma jet; Equipped with A method of forming a fuse assembly, wherein the silicone material is applied to the fusible element at multiple angles.

5. 5. The method of claim 3 or 4, further comprising cycling the plasma jet between an "on" state and an "off" state while depositing the silicone material.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising rotating the plasma jet and the fusible element relative to one another to form the silicone material around the fusible element.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising moving the plasma jet away from the fusible element while the silicone material is being deposited.

8. 8. The method of claim 3, further comprising applying the silicone material to the fusible element while the plasma jet is held in each of at least four different positions relative to the fusible element.

9. 1. A method for depositing a silicone material onto a fusible element, comprising: providing the fusible element; depositing the silicone material onto the fusible element; depositing said silicone material using a plasma jet; Equipped with the fusible element includes a series of solid sections connected by bridges; The method, wherein the silicone material is applied to the fusible element at a plurality of angles to form the silicone material along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising cycling the plasma jet between "on" and "off" states while depositing the silicone material.

11. 11. The method of claim 9 or 10, further comprising rotating the plasma jet and the fusible element relative to one another to form the silicone material around the fusible element.

12. 12. The method of any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising depositing the silicone material as a series of droplets.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising separating the plasma jet from the fusible element while the silicone material is being deposited.

14. 14. The method of any one of claims 9 to 13, further comprising applying the silicone material to the fusible element while the plasma jet is held in each of at least four different positions relative to the fusible element.

15. 15. The method of any one of claims 9 to 14, further comprising forming the silicone material around the fusible element at a plurality of points between a first end and a second end of the fusible element.

16. Providing a fusible element; forming an arc suppression band around the fusible element; Equipped with forming a fuse assembly in which material of the arc suppression band is fed to the fusible element at a plurality of angles; The method, wherein forming the arc suppression band comprises depositing a silicone material as a series of droplets onto the fusible element using a plasma jet, the silicone material being deposited while the plasma jet and the fusible element are rotated relative to one another.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming the arc suppression band along each of a top surface of the fusible element, a bottom surface of the fusible element, and a side surface of the fusible element.

18. 18. The method of claim 16 or 17, further comprising cycling the plasma jet between "on" and "off" states to deposit the silicone material as the series of droplets.

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