Fuse Terminal Folding for Thermal and Mechanical Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Downsizing fuses leads to increased thermal effects on insulating housings and weak holding and fixing forces due to reduced thickness of flat plate terminal portions.
Innovation Solution
A fuse design where flat plate portions are formed with uniform thickness, protruded outward from slits in the insulating housing, and folded into multiple layers to create thicker terminal portions, increasing thermal distribution and fixing force, with protrusions abutting inner surfaces for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the fuse is downsized by making all components smaller and thinner, then the fuse size is reduced, but the temperature of the fuse element during electrical conduction increases causing increased thermal effect on the insulating housings and peripheral components
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal portions are folded into multiple layers (dimensional transformation from single layer to multi-layer structure), increasing the thickness dimension without increasing the overall fuse volume. This multi-layer configuration expands the thermal distribution area in the thickness direction, allowing heat to dissipate more effectively and reducing the temperature of the fuse element during electrical conduction.
2Volume of moving object
If the thickness of the flat plate terminal portions is reduced for downsizing, then the fuse size is reduced, but the holding and fixing force becomes weak
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal portions are folded into multiple layers, transforming the thickness dimension from a single thin layer to a multi-layer structure. This increases the effective thickness and cross-sectional area of the terminal portions that contact the counterpart terminals, thereby enhancing the holding and fixing force despite the overall downsizing of the fuse.
3Force
If the flat plate terminal portions are folded into multiple layers to increase thickness, then the holding and fixing force is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal portions are formed as an integral part of the fuse element, with the folded multi-layer structure created from a single piece of flat plate material. This merging of the terminal portions into the fuse element body eliminates the need for separate terminal components and simplifies the assembly process, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the enhanced holding force.
Data Source
AI summary
A fuse (1) includes a fuse element (10) having a fusible portion (13) provided between opposed inner edges (11a, 12a) of flat plate portions (11, 12), and an insulating housing (50) covering the inner edge sides of the flat plate portions and the fusible portion in a state in which outer edge (11c, 12c) sides of the flat plate portions are protruded outward from slits at respective end walls (55, 58) of the insulating housing (50). The outer edge sides of the flat plate portions are formed as terminal portions (21, 22) each having a thickness twice as large as the thickness of the flat plate portion, and protrusions (11b, 12b) provided on upper and lower edges of the flat plate portions abut against inner surfaces of the end walls (55, 58) of the insulating housing (50).