Multielectrode type fuse element and multielectrode type fuse using the same

Abstract: A multielectrode type fuse element manufactured by forming a shallow shaving portion 1 of a definite width in the long fuse material 9 in a longitudinal direction so as to form a thin area 2, punching from portions of the thin area 2 dependently on electrical conduction capacities of fuses so as to form a plurality of blowout portions 3, 3, forming a hook-like extending portion 6 on one side across the thin area 2 at an upper end of an input terminal 4 disposed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long fuse material 9, forming a plurality of output terminals 5, 5 by punching from the long fuse material on a side of the hook-like extending portion 6 of the input terminal 4 in parallel with the input terminal 4 at an equal pitch, and forming the blowout portions 3, 3 to connect one side of an upper portion of a vertical section of the input terminal 4 and a lower tip of the hook-like extending portion 6 with top end of the plurality, of output terminals 5, 5.

Description: The present invention relates to a blade type multielectrode fuse to be used mainly for automobiles which is characterized in that blowout portions and a plurality of terminals are formed integrally by punching from a long fuse material consisting of a single electrically conductive plate. A fuse element which is disclosed by U.S. Patent No. 4023264 is conventionally known as a general fuse which is to be disposed in a fuse box for automobiles. This fuse element is manufactured by sequentially punching with presses and cutting out from a long fuse material 12 which has a thin portion 11 of definite width formed at in a longitudinal direction at a middle portion thereof into a piece having a predetermined shape and a predetermined length, and configured as a bielectrode type fuse element which has a thin blowout portion 13 between a pair of right and left terminals as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In addition, a reference numeral 10 represents an insulating housing in which the fuse element is to be disposed and fixed. Further, a fuse element disclosed by Japanese Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 61-14625 is known as a multielectrode type fuse element which is configured to prevent a blown fuse from influencing on other fuses by arranging a plurality of output terminals in parallel with an input terminal on a side of a power source by way of a blowout portion. This fuse element is manufactured by punching from a long fuse metal plate material 14, and consists of a common link 16 and a plurality of fuse forming links 17, 17,... which are disposed on one side of a coupling link 15 so that they hang down in parallel with one another, and that they have blowout portions 18 which have sectional areas smaller than those of the other portions as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The multielectrode type fuse element described above is manufactured by punching from the fuse metal plate 14 which has a definite thickness and projecting a portion 19 from the common link 16, and the links hang down in parallel with one another on one side of (under) the coupling link 15. Though the fuse element disclosed by U.S. Patent No. 4023264 can be manufactured efficiently in a large number by sequentially punching with presses from a long fuse material and cutting into a piece having a predetermined shape and a predetermined length while feeding the long fuse material 12 which has the longitudinal thin area 11 of the definite width in the middle portion thereof, this fuse element is required in a large number for a single vehicle since the fuse element is configured to control electric conduction capacity between an input terminal and output terminals. Further, the multielectrode type fuse element disclosed by Japanese Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 61-14625 is limited from a viewpoint of working in its width to be pouched since the blowout portions 18 are formed by punching from the fuse metal plate 14 having the definite thickness. Since it is required to reduce sectional areas of the blowout portion 18 dependently on electrical conduction capacities, these sectional areas can be adjusted only within a certain limited range by adjusting only a punching width from a plate-like metal which has a definite thickness (0.65mm) required for the fuse links. In the blade type fuses which utilize fuse links and are widely used for various kinds of vehicles, the fuse links are 0.65mm thick and the blowout portions have a sectional area of 0.3mm 2 for 30A (amperes) or 0.1mm 2 for 1A: these blowout portions having sizes from 0.3mm thick by 1.0mm wide to 0.1mm thick by 0.1mm wide. Accordingly, these blade type fuse elements having the blowout portions with a small sectional area cannot be manufactured, like the multielectrode type fuse element disclosed by Japanese Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 61-14625, only by adjusting a punching width from the plate-like metal 0.65mm thick. EP 0 802 553 A2 discloses a fuse combination in which each fuse comprises an input terminal and an output terminal aligned on opposite sides of a thinned portion, or else a common terminal is provided on one side of respective thinned portions with separate terminals on the other side of the thinned portions. According to the present invention there is provided a multielectrode type fuse element formed from an elongate electrically conductive plate of fuse material having a thin area, said fuse element comprising: an input terminal and at least first and second output terminals extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of said electrically conductive plate and at an equal pitch from a first side of said thin area; an extending portion extending along a second side of said thin area, opposite said first side, and perpendicular to said longitudinal direction; and at least first and second blowout portions having predetermined widths dependent on the electrical conduction capacity of said fuse; characterised in that: an upper end of said input terminal extends through said thin area to said extending portion; said first blowout portion connects a top end of said first output terminal to one side of said upper end of said input terminal; and said second blowout portion connects a top end of said second output terminal to a lower tip of said extending portion. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the extending portion is hook-like and the output terminals are formed on one side of the input terminal. In another preferred embodiment, the extending portion is hook-like and output terminals are formed on both sides of the input terminal. Further advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying- drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the multielectrode type fuse element shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating another embodiment of the multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating a longitudinal section of the fuse element shown in FIG. 3 in a condition where it is disposed in a housing; FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a longitudinal section of a middle portion of the fuse element shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a longitudinal section of a pair of fuse elements shown in FIG. 1 in a condition where they are disposed in a housing; FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a conventional bielectrode type fuse element; FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating a punched out material for the fuse element shown in FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating a conventional multielectrode type fuse element; and FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the multielectrode type fuse element shown in FIG. 9. Now, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the drawing, a reference numeral 9 represents a long fuse material which consists of an electrically conductive plate and on which a thin area 2 having a definite width is formed in a longitudinal direction at a location a little shifted upward from a center in a width direction with shallow shaving portions 1 tormed by cutting both surfaces. This thin area 2 may be provided by cutting both front and rear surfaces so as to form the shallow shaving portions 1, 1 as shown in FIG. 2 or one surface only, and a thickness of the thin are 2 is determined in association with a punching width of a blowout portion 3 dependently on electrical conduction capacities of fuses. The multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention is punched sequentially, as shown in FIG. 1, with presses in a process to transfer the long fuse material 9 so that the fuse element has a configuration wherein a hook-like extending portion 6 is formed on one side (right side) across the thin area 2 at an upper end of an input terminal 4 which is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long fuse material 9 and blowout portions 3, 3 are formed to connect one side (right side) of an upper portion of a vertical section of the input terminal 4 and a lower tip of the hook-like extending portion 6 with top ends of a plurality of output terminals 5, 5 which are arranged in parallel with the input terminal 4 at an equal pitch. In the multielectrode type fuse element which is punched as described above, the blowout portions 3, 3 are positioned so as to be located on the thin area 2. In the drawings, a reference numeral 7 represent a punched hole which is to be used for engagement at a stage to insert the multielectrode type fuse element into an insulating housing and caulk it. By sequentially repeating the punching step described above in a transferring process of the long fuse material 9, it is possible to obtain efficiently and in a short time a large number of multielectrode type fuse elements in each of which the input terminal 4 and the plurality of output terminals 5, 5 are arranged at a constant pitch in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long fuse material 9. FIG. 3 shows a fuse element in which output terminals 5, 5 of the fuse element having the shape shown in FIG. 1 are arranged also on a left side of an input terminal 4 symmetrically and integrally. It is possible to sequentially punch fuse elements having this shape with presses in the process to transfer the long fuse material 9. In this embodiment, a T-shaped extending portion 6' is formed at an upper end of the input terminal 4 located at the center across the thin area 2, and the plurality of output terminals 5, 5 which are arranged on the right and left sides of the input terminal 4 and the input terminal 4 are formed in parallel with one another at a constant pitch, and blowout portions 3, 3 are formed to connect both sides of an upper portion of a vertical section of the input terminal 4 and lower tips on both sides of the T-shaped extending portion 6' with top ends of the plurality of output terminals 5, 5 on both sides. FIGS. 4 and 5 are a front view of a longitudinal section illustrating a condition where the upper half of the fuse element having the shape shown in FIG. 3 is disposed and fixed' in an. insulating housing 10, and a side view of a longitudinal section of the middle part or a condition where the multielectrode type fuse is actually used. FIG. 6 is a front view of a longitudinal section illustrating a condition where the upper half of two fuse elements which have the shape shown in FIG. 1 is disposed and fixed in an insulating housing 10 with the input terminals 4, 4 adjacent to each other. The multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention can easily be manufactured simply by punching and cutting in a predetermined shape from the long fuse material since the thin area 2 having the definite width can be preliminarily formed over an entire length of the long fuse material in the longitudinal direction thereof. Further, the multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention in which the thin area is preliminarily formed as blowout portions can be punched so as to have a large width, thereby facilitating to adjust a sectional area of the blowout portion and enhancing design freedom. Furthermore, the multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention in which a plurality of output terminals are equipped with blowout portions respectively has fuse functions for a plurality of circuits, thereby making it possible to configure a set of fuses as a whole more compact and lighter in weight. Accordingly, the multielectrode type fuse element according to the present invention makes it possible to configure a fuse box more compact and lighter in weight, and features high industrial utility. Many widely different embodiments of the present invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the specification, except as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: A multielectrode type fuse element formed from an elongate electrically conductive plate (9) of fuse material having a thin area (2), said fuse element comprising: an input terminal (4) and at least first and second output terminals (5), said input terminal and said output terminals being parallel at an equal pitch and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said electrically conductive plate (9); an extending portion (6,6') that forms in combination with said input terminal a hook-like or T-shaped shape extending parallel to said longitudinal direction; and at least first and second blowout portions (3) within said thin area having predetermined widths dependent on the electrical conduction capacity of said fuse; characterised in that : said input and output terminals (4,5) extend from a first side of said thin area (2) and said extending portion extends along a second side of said thin area, opposite said first side; an upper end of said input terminal (4) extends through said thin area (2) to said extending portion (6,6'); said first blowout portion (3) connects a top end of said first output terminal (5) to one side of said upper end of said input terminal (4); and said second blowout portion (3) connects a top end of said second output terminal (5) to a lower tip of said extending portion. A multielectrode type fuse element according to claim 1 wherein said extending portion (6) combined with said input terminal is hook-like and said output terminals (5) are formed on one side of said input terminal (4). A multielectrode type fuse comprising a pair of multielectrode type fuse elements according to claim 1 having their upper halves disposed and fixed in an insulating housing with their input terminals (4) adjacent each other. A multielectrode type fuse element according to claim 1 wherein said extending portion (6') combined with said input terminal is T-shaped and output terminals (5) are formed on both sides of said input terminal (4). A multielectrode type fuse comprising a multielectrode type fuse element according to claim 4 having its upper half disposed and fixed in an insulating housing (10).

Inventors: KATAOKA ISATO, KAWAMURA ISAO, MURAKAMI IWAO, KATAOKA, ISATO, KAWAMURA, ISAO, MURAKAMI, IWAO
Applicants: PACIFIC ENG CORP, PACIFIC ENGINEERING CORPORATION
Application year: 1998
Main classification: H01H85
IPC codes: H01H85, H01H69