US3639874A - Fuses - Google Patents

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Publication number
US3639874A
US3639874A US879442A US3639874DA US3639874A US 3639874 A US3639874 A US 3639874A US 879442 A US879442 A US 879442A US 3639874D A US3639874D A US 3639874DA US 3639874 A US3639874 A US 3639874A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
current
current conductors
resilient element
pellet
resilient
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US879442A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Gerardus Jacobus Deelman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Littelfuse Tracor BV
Original Assignee
Littelfuse Tracor BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Littelfuse Tracor BV filed Critical Littelfuse Tracor BV
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3639874A publication Critical patent/US3639874A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H85/00—Protective devices in which the current flows through a part of fusible material and this current is interrupted by displacement of the fusible material when this current becomes excessive
    • H01H85/02—Details
    • H01H85/04—Fuses, i.e. expendable parts of the protective device, e.g. cartridges
    • H01H85/05—Component parts thereof
    • H01H85/055—Fusible members
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H85/00—Protective devices in which the current flows through a part of fusible material and this current is interrupted by displacement of the fusible material when this current becomes excessive
    • H01H85/02—Details
    • H01H85/36—Means for applying mechanical tension to fusible member
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H85/00—Protective devices in which the current flows through a part of fusible material and this current is interrupted by displacement of the fusible material when this current becomes excessive
    • H01H85/02—Details
    • H01H85/0241—Structural association of a fuse and another component or apparatus
    • H01H2085/0275—Structural association with a printed circuit board
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H85/00—Protective devices in which the current flows through a part of fusible material and this current is interrupted by displacement of the fusible material when this current becomes excessive
    • H01H85/0039—Means for influencing the rupture process of the fusible element
    • H01H85/0047—Heating means
    • H01H85/0052—Fusible element and series heating means or series heat dams

Definitions

  • Cited current conductor is combined and attached to an associated biased resilient element, thus forming an interruption element UNITED STATES PATENTS with both excellent mechanical and electrical characteristics for providing the wanted interruption action.
  • FUSES This invention relates to a fuse comprising two current conductors connected by a fusible pellet, the connection being broken when a given threshold value of current flowing through the conductors is exceeded as a result of mechanical spring action when the pellet melts.
  • Such fuses have some disadvantages, however. Since the pellet heating is caused by the generation of heat from the current in the springs, there is the danger that sudden overheating may result in a loss of resiliency, which may have disastrous effects on the apparatus protected by the fuse. This disadvantage is felt more strongly according as such fuses are designed for lower fusing currents. While winding of small tension springs is difficult enough in itself, the wires for such lowcurrent fuses must also have a high specific resistance, the choice of materials is still further restricted by the requirement that the wires must be solderable with low-melting alloys. Materials which satisfy both requirements have the disadvantage, however, that they lose their resiliency at relatively low working temperatures.
  • the invention accordingly provides a fuse comprising a casing with input and output means, and two current conductors with the one ends of said current conductors being connected by a fusible pellet and the other ends of said current conductors being connected to said input and output means respectively, at least one of said current conductors being disposed closely along and attached to a biased resilient element associated with it and following the geometrical configuration of said associated resilient element, the one end of the said resilient element being attached to the casing and the other end being in contact with the fusible pellet, so as to constitute an interruption element having both mechanical and electrical characteristics for breaking by mechanical spring action the electrical connection between said current conductors when a given threshold value of electrical current through said current conductors for melting said pellet is exceeded.
  • the fuse according to the present invention we deliberately make use of the heataccumulating properties of the resilient material by disposing the windings adjacent or closely around the resilient elements.
  • the resilient elements can serve as accumulators for the heat dissipated by the windings, so that more effective and quicker heating can take place at the pellet.
  • the resilient elements may be secured in insulating material formed integrally with the casing of the fuse; the free ends of these resilient elements may be held together by a fusible pellet.
  • the resilient elements have a core of resilient material, which is a poor heat conductor and has a low specific heat, for example, stainless steel.
  • a resilient element around which the current conductor has been disposed as a close thin current winding of a conducting metal.
  • the resilient element is formed of a metal core, such as stainless steel, said core may be surrounded by an insulating layer of for example enamel or synthetic resin material or the current winding may be coated with insulating material.
  • the current windings may be produced by previously winding the resilient elements with a thin conductor, for example, an enameled wire, which may, for example, be made of a coppernickel alloy of high specific resistance.
  • the current windings may further be united with the resilient elements solidly by heat treatment, if necessary adding lacquer or adhesive.
  • the resilient core need not be of conductive material in the form of a wire or strip, but may be made of insulating material, for example, of a glass fiber or strand of glass fibers. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the resilient core to be soldered to the alloy of the pellet. The latter may, for example connect two suitable points of the windings.
  • windings may be built up from two or more thin conductors side by side, with the advantage ofa greater flexibility and relatively low resistance.
  • the fuse according to the invention may, for example, be adapted for use in printed circuits.
  • the current conductor instead of being wound around its associated resilient element can be disposed adjacent and parallel to the resilient element to constitute a useful current interruption element.
  • For attachment of the conductor to the resilient element use can be made of a close thin winding around the so formed bundle.
  • insulation between the resilient element and the cur rent conductor can be provided.
  • it is possible for example to constitute a fuse with current interruption elements comprising a resilient element of stainless steel combined to a bundle with a good conducting metal wire, said bundle surrounded by coil of a thin metal wire, closely wound around said bundle.
  • So formed interruption elements have excellent characteristics for breaking the current connection above a predetermined threshold value of allowable electrical current.
  • FIG. 1 shows a fuse according to the invention including two resilient elements on which current conductors are wound;
  • FIG. 2 shown a fuse with an indicator contact
  • FIG. 3 shows a fuse according to the invention designed particularly for use with printed circuits
  • FIG. 4 illustrates a fuse according to the invention in a form suitable for being built into a cylindrical tube of electrically insulating material
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a fuse according to the invention in which the resilient element takes the form of a helical tension spring
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 show high current fuses according to the invention in which are interruption elements consisting of a combined bundle of resilient and electrically good conducting metal wires surrounded by thin metal windings.
  • FIG. I there is shown a casing l, in which are secured terminals 2 and resilient elements 3.
  • the resilient elements are provided with current windings 5, the ends 4 of which are connected with the terminals 2.
  • blowing of the fuse will occur at the pellet 6. Sudden, very large currents however, will cause the current to be broken owing to the melting of the ends 4, which in such embodiments provides an additional protection.
  • FIG. 2 there is shown a fuse according to the invention provided with an indicator contact, the conductive, resilient element 3 being kept under tension by a thin conductor 7, which connects the terminal 2 with the fusible pellet 6 at the end of the current winding.
  • the winding 5 is insulated from the resilient element 3.
  • the spring 3 effects a conductive connection between the auxiliary contacts 8, which energizes an alarm system.
  • FIG. 3 shows a fuse according to the invention designed particularly for use with printed circuits.
  • the resilient element 3, provided with a current winding 5, is clamped in a panel 9 provided with a printed circuit 10.
  • the fusible pellet 6 connects the winding 5, which is so dimensioned that it has a resistance value suitable for the circuit, with the printed circuit 10 and also keeps the resilient element 3 under tension.
  • the fuse shown in FIG. 4 has a form particularly suitable for being built into a cylindrical tube of electrically insulating material.
  • a casing 1 of, for example, heat-resistant synthetic resin material houses terminals and the resilient elements 3.
  • the fusible pellet 6 connects the windings 5 and keeps the resilient elements 3 under tension.
  • the casing is surrounded by a cylindrical tube 11, including metal caps 12 soldered to the terminals.
  • FIG. 5 shows a fuse according to the invention incorporating a resilient element 3 in the form ofa helical tension spring surrounded by a winding 5.
  • the tension spring is anchored in a casing 1 and is kept under tension by a conductor 7, which is conductively connected to the winding 5 by the fusible pellet 6.
  • the fuse is accommodated in a tube 11 of electrically insulating material, provided with conductive caps 12.
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 relate especially to high-current fuses.
  • a fuse comprising a glass tube 11, sealed by two conducting metal end caps 12, cemented to the glass tube by a cementing l3.
  • the so formed interruption elements are clamped for biasing in the glass tube and contacted to the metal caps with their one ends, the other ends being contacted to each other by a fusible tin solder pellet 6.
  • a fusible tin solder pellet 6 In this embodiment and insulation between steel wire and silver wire can be omitted as the main current will flow through the good conducting silver wire.
  • the fuse shown in FIG. 7 is of the same configuration as the foregoing except that the interruption elements are clenched between the caps and the glass tube for biasing the springs.
  • interruption elements with a number of conducting wires 5 and a number of resilient wires 3. It is also possible to use for high-current purposes a fuse of the type shown in FIG. 5 with one helical-type interruption element constituted in accordance with the bundle principle mentioned above and comprising the first current conductor whereas the second current conductor is single silver wire.
  • Such a configuration gives a special protection for sudden very high-current pulses, for the current conductor 7 acts as a current-limiting element that will melt at very high and sustained overcurrents.
  • Embodiments with two opposite helical-spring-type interruption elements are also possible both in the design wherein the current conductor is wound around the resilient element as in the design wherein the current conductor is disposed along and parallel to the resilient element.
  • the fuses according to the invention show numerous advantageous aspects.
  • the invention provides a reproducible fuse which permits an optimum choice of materials, both for resiliency characteristics and for electrical characteristics. Also it provides reliable current protection, and a compact and sturdy construction.
  • sandfilled fuses with low heat dissipation.
  • the methods of manufacture are simple and suitable for production on a continuous basis.
  • the fusible pellet for the selection of the fusible pellet, one is not limited to a conductive soldered connection, but may, especially for low-current application, use nonconductive substances, for example, synthetic resins, having a desired melting point, and keeping thus the contact between the conductors closed.
  • a fuse comprising a casing with input and output means, and two current conductors with the one ends of said current conductors being connected by a fusible pellet and the other ends of said current conductors being connected to said input and output means respectively at least one of said current conductors being disposed adjacent and parallel to a biased resilient element associated with it and following the geometrical configuration of said associated resilient element, said one conductor being attached to the resilient element by a winding of thin metal wire closely wound around the assembly of the conductor and the resilient element, the one end of the said resilient element being attached to the casing and the other end being in contact with the fusible pellet, so as to constitute an interruption element having both mechanical and electrical characteristics for breakingby mechanical spring action the electrical connection between said current conductors when a given threshold value of electrical current through said current conductors for melting said pellet is exceeded.
  • a fuse comprising a casing with input and output means, and two current conductors with the one ends of said current conductors being connected by a fusible pellet and the other ends of said current conductors being connected to said input and output means respectively at least one of said current conductors being disposed closely along and attached to a biased resilient element associated with it and following the geometrical configuration of said associated resilient element, said resilient element comprising a bundle of at least two'wires of a poor electrical conducting resilient metal, said bundle and said one conductor being surrounded by a coil of thin metal wire closely wound around said bundle and said one conductor, one end of the said resilient element being attached to the casing and the other end being in contact with the fusible pellot, so as to constitute an interruption element having both mechanical and electrical characteristics for breaking by mechanical spring action the electrical connection between said current conductors when a given threshold value of electrical current through said current conductors for melting said pellet is exceeded. 5

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  • Fuses (AREA)
US879442A 1967-05-24 1969-11-24 Fuses Expired - Lifetime US3639874A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL6707156A NL6707156A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1967-05-24 1967-05-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3639874A true US3639874A (en) 1972-02-01

Family

ID=19800196

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US879442A Expired - Lifetime US3639874A (en) 1967-05-24 1969-11-24 Fuses

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3639874A (enrdf_load_html_response)
CA (1) CA955293A (enrdf_load_html_response)
GB (1) GB1182558A (enrdf_load_html_response)
NL (2) NL6707156A (enrdf_load_html_response)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2471039A1 (fr) * 1979-12-04 1981-06-12 Ferodo Sa Dispositif de fusible pour circuit electrique, notamment d'alimentation d'un moteur
WO1982003724A1 (en) * 1981-04-10 1982-10-28 Watson David Electrical fuse
US5793275A (en) * 1995-10-23 1998-08-11 Iversen; Arthur H. Exothermically assisted arc limiting fuses
DE19952888A1 (de) * 1999-11-03 2001-05-10 Abb Cmc Carl Maier Ag Schaffha Thermisch auslösbare Schaltstelle
US20080117016A1 (en) * 2006-11-22 2008-05-22 Tsung-Mou Yu Temperature Fuse Protection Device
US20080204184A1 (en) * 2005-04-08 2008-08-28 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Passive Triggering of a Circuit Breaker for Electrical Supply Lines of Motor Vehicles
US20080297301A1 (en) * 2007-06-04 2008-12-04 Littelfuse, Inc. High voltage fuse
US20110050384A1 (en) * 2009-08-27 2011-03-03 Tyco Electronics Corporation Termal fuse
US20110237102A1 (en) * 2008-11-05 2011-09-29 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Plug-In Connection for an Occupant Protection Means
CN102834889A (zh) * 2010-03-11 2012-12-19 自动电缆管理有限责任公司 车辆电力线路保险装置
US20160049275A1 (en) * 2014-08-18 2016-02-18 Borgwarner Ludwigsburg Gmbh Fuse for an electrical circuit and printed circuit board having a fuse
US10446354B1 (en) * 2018-10-17 2019-10-15 Littelfuse, Inc. Coiled fusible element for high reliability fuse

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4441093A (en) * 1981-04-28 1984-04-03 Tasuku Okazaki Thermal fuse and the method of manufacturing the same
GB9414942D0 (en) * 1994-07-25 1994-09-14 Welwyn Components Ltd A thermal fuse
FR2863100B1 (fr) * 2003-11-27 2006-02-10 Valeo Climatisation Composant pour circuit imprime organise en disjoncteur thermique a liberation d'un organe elastique maintenu sous contrainte par une masse fusible

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1438609A (en) * 1918-03-14 1922-12-12 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Fuse
US2239390A (en) * 1938-01-05 1941-04-22 Oscar H Jung Fuse
US2400491A (en) * 1943-05-15 1946-05-21 Mcgraw Electric Co Protector for electric circuits
FR1146253A (fr) * 1956-03-23 1957-11-08 Cfcmug Dispositif thermostatique
US3246105A (en) * 1963-02-06 1966-04-12 Mc Graw Edison Co Protector for electric circuits

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1438609A (en) * 1918-03-14 1922-12-12 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Fuse
US2239390A (en) * 1938-01-05 1941-04-22 Oscar H Jung Fuse
US2400491A (en) * 1943-05-15 1946-05-21 Mcgraw Electric Co Protector for electric circuits
FR1146253A (fr) * 1956-03-23 1957-11-08 Cfcmug Dispositif thermostatique
US3246105A (en) * 1963-02-06 1966-04-12 Mc Graw Edison Co Protector for electric circuits

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2471039A1 (fr) * 1979-12-04 1981-06-12 Ferodo Sa Dispositif de fusible pour circuit electrique, notamment d'alimentation d'un moteur
WO1982003724A1 (en) * 1981-04-10 1982-10-28 Watson David Electrical fuse
US5793275A (en) * 1995-10-23 1998-08-11 Iversen; Arthur H. Exothermically assisted arc limiting fuses
DE19952888A1 (de) * 1999-11-03 2001-05-10 Abb Cmc Carl Maier Ag Schaffha Thermisch auslösbare Schaltstelle
US8154377B2 (en) * 2005-04-08 2012-04-10 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Passive triggering of a circuit breaker for electrical supply lines of motor vehicles
US20080204184A1 (en) * 2005-04-08 2008-08-28 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Passive Triggering of a Circuit Breaker for Electrical Supply Lines of Motor Vehicles
US20080117016A1 (en) * 2006-11-22 2008-05-22 Tsung-Mou Yu Temperature Fuse Protection Device
US7639114B2 (en) * 2006-11-22 2009-12-29 Tsung-Mou Yu Temperature fuse protection device
US20080297301A1 (en) * 2007-06-04 2008-12-04 Littelfuse, Inc. High voltage fuse
US20110237102A1 (en) * 2008-11-05 2011-09-29 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Plug-In Connection for an Occupant Protection Means
US20110050384A1 (en) * 2009-08-27 2011-03-03 Tyco Electronics Corporation Termal fuse
CN102834889A (zh) * 2010-03-11 2012-12-19 自动电缆管理有限责任公司 车辆电力线路保险装置
US20130009745A1 (en) * 2010-03-11 2013-01-10 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Fuse for a Motor Vehicle Power Line
CN102834889B (zh) * 2010-03-11 2015-11-25 自动电缆管理有限责任公司 车辆电力线路保险装置
US9425010B2 (en) * 2010-03-11 2016-08-23 Auto Kabel Managementgesellschaft Mbh Fuse for a motor vehicle power line
US20160049275A1 (en) * 2014-08-18 2016-02-18 Borgwarner Ludwigsburg Gmbh Fuse for an electrical circuit and printed circuit board having a fuse
US9620321B2 (en) * 2014-08-18 2017-04-11 Borgwarner Ludwigsburg Gmbh Fuse for an electrical circuit and printed circuit board having a fuse
US10446354B1 (en) * 2018-10-17 2019-10-15 Littelfuse, Inc. Coiled fusible element for high reliability fuse

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL6707156A (enrdf_load_html_response) 1968-11-25
GB1182558A (en) 1970-02-25
DE1763398B2 (de) 1977-01-13
NL134303C (enrdf_load_html_response)
CA955293A (en) 1974-09-24
DE1763398A1 (de) 1971-10-28

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