Multi-purpose tool for blade fuses

A multi-purpose tool singularly provides all functions necessary to remove a blade-type fuse, clean the male blades of a fuse, and clean contact points of a female fuse receptacle. The tool also may provide a battery-powered circuit to check the continuity of a fuse. The tool includes a pair of abrasive tabs for cleaning female fuse receptacles, a slot with at least one abrasive surface for cleaning male fuse blades, and a pair of picking arms for grasping a fuse.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to the field of tools used for electrical fuses; specifically blade-type fuses. Electrical fuses can be difficult to remove from their female receptacles due to, for example, the often-tight spacing between fuses arranged in a fuse box. Human fingers may not be able to adequately grasp a fuse and pull it from its receptacle. Common tools such as needle nose pliers may also not readily grasp a fuse securely enough to allow for easy removal.

Additionally, there may be corrosion or oxidation that builds up on the surfaces that are in electrical contact between a fuse and its fuse receptacle. Such corrosion may unwantedly increase electrical resistance or cause discontinuity. Cleaning such corrosion via light abrading is therefore desirable in order to maintain the function of the related electrical circuit. In addition, being able to easily check the electrical continuity of a fuse is also desirable.

Therefore, what is needed is a single tool that can perform some or all of the above functions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure describes a multi-purpose tool which singularly provides a user all functions necessary to remove a blade-type electrical fuse, clean the male blades of the fuse, and clean contact points of the female fuse receptacle. The tool also may provide a battery-powered circuit to check the continuity of a fuse. The tool includes a pair of abrasive tabs for cleaning female fuse receptacles, a slot with at least one abrasive surface for cleaning male fuse blades, and a pair of picking arms for grasping a fuse.

In one embodiment there is a tool for fuses and fuse contacts which includes: a body, with a set of picking arms at a first end of the body; a pair of abrasive tabs at a second end of the body; a slot in the body's mid-section, with the slot containing at least one abrasive surface.

In one embodiment the slot includes two opposing abrasive surfaces. In one embodiment the picking arms include claws. In one embodiment the picking arms include friction pads. In one embodiment the dimensions of the abrasive tabs are configured for a fuse blade size selected from a group consisting of: regular, mini, low-profile mini, micro2, micro3, maxi. In one embodiment the dimensions of the abrasive tabs are configured for a fuse blade type selected from a group consisting of: APR, ATC, ATO, APM, ATM, APS, ATT, APT, ATR, ATL, APX. In one embodiment the picking arms are flexible.

In one embodiment there is a tool for fuses and fuse contacts which includes: a body, with a set of picking arms at a first end of the body; a pair of abrasive tabs at a second end of the body; a slot in the body's mid-section, with the slot containing at least one abrasive surface, a circuit tester in the body.

In one embodiment the circuit tester is configured to test a fuse's continuity. In one embodiment the circuit tester components are comprised of an indicator, a battery, a resistor, and two contact points. In one embodiment the circuit tester components are housed entirely within the body, and further include a battery cap for accessing the battery. In one embodiment the indicator is an LED that is visible on the surface of the body, and which illuminates to indicate continuity across a fuse.

In one embodiment there is a method for extracting and cleaning a fuse and fuse contacts which includes: grasping the fuse with picking arms portion of a tool body and pulling the fuse from a slot, the picking arms positioned at a first end of the tool body; cleaning the fuse's blades on at least one abrasive surface of a slot in the tool body, the slot located in said tool body's mid-section; cleaning fuse contacts with a pair of abrasive tabs, the abrasive tabs positioned at a second end of the tool body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A first embodiment of the present design is shown inFIGS. 1-5. A tool body10, or simply body, includes a set of picking arms25at a first end15of the body10. A pair of abrasive tabs30re positioned at a second end20of the body10. A slot35is included in the body's mid-section40, with the slot containing at least one abrasive surface. In the preferred embodiment, two opposing abrasive surfaces45a/45bare included in the slot. Claws50curl inward from picking arms25. Shown are examples of blade-type fuses, such as60. However, the scope of the present application is not limited by the graphical representation of the fuses shown.

The tool is used, not necessarily in the order described herein, to remove a blade-type fuse such as60from a fuse receptacle. This is done by grasping the fuse with picking arms25, for which claws50are adapted to provide additional grip around the top t-shaped portion of a fuse such as60. The fuse is then pulled from the fuse receptacle, where the fuse receptacle is configured with female-type slots and includes fuse contacts65.

With a fuse removed, the tool includes further features to remove or reduce oxidation and corrosion on the electrical contact points of the fuse's blades, and the fuse receptacle contact points. As shown inFIG. 2, a the blades of a fuse such as60may be placed into slot35, which includes at least one abrasive surface, and preferably two opposing abrasive surfaces45aand45b. The fuse is then moved in a back and forth motion in the slot, allowing the abrasive surfaces to remove oxidation from the surfaces of the fuse's blades.

Similarly, the tool includes a pair of abrasive tabs30, preferably located at the opposing end of body10from picking arms25. After preferably taking precautions to turn-off power to the circuit, abrasive tabs30may be inserted into the slots of a fuse receptacle, where fuse contacts65are housed. The tool is then moved in a back and forth motion in the slots, allowing the abrasive surfaces of tabs30to remove oxidation from the surfaces of fuse contacts65.

In another embodiment of the present system as seen inFIGS. 6-10, the tool is of a slightly different configuration, suited for “mini” type blade fuses. Mini body210includes mini picking arms225include a narrower shaped end, which is adapted for “mini” type fuses260, which is explained further below. First mini end215, second mini end220, and mid-section240are shown. This embodiment uses friction pads255on the inside tips of mini picking arms225. The friction pads may be in the form of ridges that are molded as part of the overall body, or may be pads of a different material that is affixed to the body. This embodiment also includes a mini slot235with at least one abrasive surface for mini fuses245a, with optional second abrasive surface245b, and mini abrasive tabs230. Here, the abrasive tabs are configured as insertable to a “mini” type female fuse receptacle.

An additional feature which may be optionally included is a circuit tester, preferably positioned in the body10. The circuit components may include an indicator72, which in the preferred embodiment is an LED; a battery74; a resistor76; and two contact points70. The circuit components may be imbedded in the body10, with the contact points70appropriately spaced for a particular size of blade-type fuse. A battery cap may be included, for removable access to the battery74and to hold and conceal the battery74in body10. The blades of a fuse may be placed across contact points70, allowing a user to determine if the fuse has continuity.

Of course, other suitable circuits that provide testing may also be used, with the circuit and components shows merely serving as examples. Similarly, other types of contact points, such as a configuration using slots into which the fuse blades may slide, may also be used. The circuit tester may be located at any suitable position on body10, and is not limited to the position shown. The circuit tester may be included in any embodiment of the present system, and for brevity it is shown only in the first embodiment.

A tool may be configured, in particular the dimensions and spacing of abrasive tabs30, for optimal use with a particular fuse blade size, and/or fuse blade type. Industry standards describe fuse blade size according to: regular, mini, low-profile mini, micro2, micro3, maxi. Industry standards describe fuse blade type according to: APR, ATC, ATO, APM, ATM, APS, ATT, APT, ATR, ATL, APX. A single tool may be configured in regard to the dimensions of abrasive tabs30, and/or the dimensions of slot35, and/or the dimensions of picking arms25, and/or whether picking arms25use a claws50and/or pads255, for the for use with a specific type of fuse. A single tool may be compatible with multiple types of fuses, where the different types of fuses have similar dimensions.

Preferably, the tool is made from a suitable type of plastic, through suitable means know in the art such as injection molding, 3-dimensional printing, etc. The abrasive surfaces may be part of the tool's base material, or may be a separate abrasive material that is attached to the tool in the specific locations where abrasive material in used. The material used allows picking arms25to be flexible, and capable of being squeezed around a fuse in manner that allows a fuse to be removed from its receptacle.

FIGS. 11-20show additional views of embodiments of the present system.

Although the presently disclosed design has been described with respect to one or more embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments of the present design may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present design. Hence,160the present design is deemed limited only by the appended claims and the reasonable interpretation thereof.