Serviceable Inline AC Fuse Holder with Rotating Locking Door
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing AC fuse assemblies for electric automobiles lack effective sealing and mounting provisions, making them unsuitable for automotive use and posing challenges in maintaining a weathertight inline fuse connection.
Innovation Solution
A serviceable, weathertight inline AC fuse holder with a cannulated housing and locking features that securely connect wire terminals, utilizing a seal member and rotating locking door to create a sealed chamber around the fuse, allowing for easy access and replacement while maintaining a weathertight seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing AC fuse assemblies are used, then they can be simple in structure, but they lack effective sealing and mounting provisions making them unsuitable for automotive use
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse holder is divided into separate components including a housing, wire connectors, and a locking door assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the housing provides sealing, the connectors provide mounting provisions, and the locking door provides access control - while collectively achieving reliable automotive-grade sealing without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire connectors are nested within the housing structure, with the locking door providing access to the nested components. The seal member is disposed within the housing to seal the nested wire connectors. This nesting arrangement achieves comprehensive sealing and mounting provisions while minimizing the overall device footprint and structural complexity.
2Reliability
If a sealed chamber is created around the fuse, then weathertight protection is achieved, but access for serviceability becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The locking door is designed as a dynamic component that can rotate between a closed position (providing weathertight protection) and an open position (providing access to the fuse and wire connectors). This dynamic mechanism allows the system to transition between sealed and accessible states, resolving the contradiction between maintaining a weathertight seal and enabling easy serviceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking door acts as an intermediary element between the external environment and the sealed chamber containing the fuse. When closed, it maintains the weathertight seal; when opened, it provides controlled access. The locking features on the door and housing work together as an intermediary mechanism to secure the seal while allowing intentional access for repair operations.
3Reliability
If locking features are added to secure wire connectors, then mounting reliability is improved, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking features are merged with the existing housing and wire connector structures rather than being added as separate complex mechanisms. The locking tabs on the wire connectors integrate with corresponding features on the housing, creating secure mounting through combined structural elements. This merging approach achieves reliable mounting security while minimizing the addition of separate locking mechanism components.
Data Source
AI summary
An inline fuse holder for housing a fuse that electrically connects first and second wire terminals is provided. The inline fuse holder can generally include a cannulated fuse holder housing having a cylindrical inner periphery. The fuse holder housing can have a first end that defines a first opening, and a second end that defines a second opening. The first and second ends comprise first locking features. A first wire connector includes a connector housing that defines a through bore. The connector housing can have a boss configured to be received by the first opening of the fuse holder housing. The first wire connector further includes a second locking feature that is configured to selectively lock with one of the first locking features in the installed position.