Abstract:
A fuse cap for a blade fuse is provided. The fuse cap comprises a fuse body, a pair of significantly parallel blades connecting the fuse body and partially extending thereof to form electric connections, and a blade box for receiving the fuse body and the parallel blades. The fuse cap includes a body portion electrically connected to a connector, a cap flange having an opening for receiving the electric connections of the blades and at least one tooth within a single side of the opening to tightly clamp with the electric connections of the blades, and a locking element formed on the cap flange. Moreover, there is at least a pair of opposite or offset clamping portions formed on both lateral sides of the locking element, which makes the blade fuse to be tightly secured to the fuse cap and to avoid reliability reduction and deformation of the fuse cap.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    As more and more cars are equipped with alarm systems, navigation systems and video/audio systems, consumers need to cut off the power when entering the automobile electronic system to protect the automobile circuitry. In many circumstances, it is difficult to connect to the battery directly through wiring, and thus, blade fuse is commonly used in the electronic systems of automobiles. 
         [0002]    Conventionally, a blade fuse includes a pair of parallel blades and a blade box. The blades are received within the blade box, and a portion of the blades is extended outwardly from the blade box acting as a connection. The exposed connection may encounter undesired contact due to car vibration or oxidation of the exposed connection because there&#39;s no device to completely secure the blade fuse with the electric connector. In view of the disadvantages of the conventional blade fuse, U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,229 developed a fuse cap that can provide a good electrical contact between the electrical connector and the blade connection of the blade fuse. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the fuse cap  50  includes a strip body  51 ; one end of the strip body  51  is connected to an electrically coupled end of a conducting wire; a cap flange  53  formed on the other end of the strip body  51 , and teeth blades  58  that are arranged in double lines and engaged to each other are provided within the cap flange  53  so as to tightly engage the connection through the double lines of the teeth blade  58 . However, the characteristics of the prior art are to form a neck portion  55  extended outwardly on the strip body  51  so that the neck portion  55  and the cap flange  53  are clamped to the upper edge and the lower edge of the blade box respectively (not shown), thereby achieving stability and preventing bad electrical contacts or short circuit due to the vibration of the car. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to a connecting component for a fuse; more particularly, the present invention relates to a fuse cap used for a blade fuse in electronic components for automobiles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a fuse cap for a blade fuse. The fuse cap includes a fuse body, a pair of significantly parallel blades connecting the fuse body and partially extending thereof to form electric connections, and a blade box for receiving the fuse body and the parallel blades. The fuse cap includes a body portion electrically connected to a connector, a cap flange having an opening for receiving the electric connections of the blades and at least one tooth within a single side of the opening to tightly clamp with the electric connections of the blades. The fuse cap used for the blade fuse is further characterized in that a locking element is formed with a predetermined distance from the cap flange on the body portion. Wherein, at least a pair of opposite or offset clamping portions is formed on both lateral sides of the locking element, which makes the blade fuse to be tightly secured to the fuse cap. 
         [0005]    The fuse cap of the present invention is formed with a single metal piece. Not only does the fuse cap not need any additional element to secure itself tightly with the connecting portion so as to prevent blade fuse in use from unstable electric connection due to automobile vibration, but also at least one pair of opposite or offset clamping portions formed on both lateral sides of the locking element can enhance the extensible resistance of the metal on the sides of the locking element to prevent it from deformation after usage, thereby extending the life time of the fuse. Therefore, the present invention not only reduces the cost, but greatly increases the protection for the circuitry. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional view of the conventional fuse cap; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional view of the conventional blade fuse; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a three-dimensional view of the first embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention and a partial enlargement view; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a partial three-dimensional view of the first embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a longitudinal perspective view of the first embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is an upper view of the non-completed product of the fuse cap before molding of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a partial three-dimensional view of the second embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a three-dimensional view of the third embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a three-dimensional view of the fourth embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    The present invention discloses a fuse cap structure of a blade fuse used in an automobile. The following figures are not illustrated in actual proportion and are only meant to describe the characteristics of the present invention. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates the perspective view of the conventional blade fuse  12  prior to inserting the fuse cap  10  of the present invention. As shown, the blade fuse  12  is externally covered by the blade box  14 , a pair of parallel arranged blades  16  is received within the blade box  14 , a fuse body  18  is connected between the two blades  16 ; a portion of the blade  16  is extended from the blade box  14  acting as the connection  160 ; the blade fuse  12  is a prior art and will not be described in details herein. However, the blade fuse  12  is secured in the automobile or at a predetermined position in other mobile electronic devices with at least one fuse cap  10  disclosed in each of the embodiments in accordance with the present invention so as to be electronically connected to an electrically connecting wire or other electrical connecting terminals (not shown in figures). 
         [0017]      FIGS. 3 to 5  each disclose a three-dimensional view of the fuse cap of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fuse cap  10  includes a strip body  11 , a cap flange  13  integrally formed with the strip body  11 , and a locking element  15 , wherein a solder connector  110  is formed on one end of the strip body  11  so as to be soldered and electrically connected with an electrically connecting wire  17  or other electrical connecting terminals. The other end of the strip body  11  is connected to the cap flange  13 . Wherein, an opening  132  is within the cap flange  13 . A plurality of teeth  134  are formed along the perimeter on one side of the opening  132 ; the teeth  134  are formed by extensible metal materials such as copper, brass, or aluminum and other alloys; the shape of the teeth  134  can be discontinuous teeth, continuous teeth, curved teeth, rectangular teeth, triangular teeth or other forms. As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the connection  160  of the blade  16  of the blade fuse  12  passes through the opening  132 , the slightly extensible teeth  134  will tightly clamp with the connection  160  to form a good electrical contact. 
         [0018]    Then, a locking element  15  is integrally formed between the solder connector  110  and the cap flange  13  on the strip body  11  of the fuse cap  10  of the present invention with a predetermined distance from the cap flange  13 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , the locking element  15  is a curved or a gooseneck portion so as to be tightly secured at the edge of the blade box  14  with the blade fuse  12 . Wherein, the predetermined distance of the locking element  15  from the cap flange  13  is substantially similar to the height of the blade box  14 , thereby when the fuse cap  10  is inserted into the blade fuse  12 , the predetermined distance can be completely received by the blade box  14 . Additionally, the two sides of the locking element  15  are formed with a pair of opposite clamping portions  150 ; each clamping portion  150  is integrally formed by the base  150   a  and the cover end  150   b  connecting to each other. The length of the clamping portion  150 , namely the total length of the base  150   a  and the cover end  150   b , needs to be greater than the thickness of the sides of the locking element  15  after they are bent. However, after the base  150   a  of the clamping portion  150  is extended outwardly from the locking element  15 , it will be bent from bottom to top along the side of the locking element  15  (as shown by the arrow in  FIG. 3 ) or from top to bottom (as shown by the arrow in  FIG. 4 ), then the cover end  150   b  will press the surface on the other side of the locking element  15  so that the side of the locking element  15  is completely engaged by the clamping portion  150 . Therefore, the two sides of the locking element  15  adding the clamping portion  150  can help enhance the extensible resistance of the metal at the sides of the locking element  15  to prevent the locking element  15  from deformation after frequent use that would further cause the blade fuse to come off easily when the automobile vibrates. 
         [0019]      FIG. 6  illustrates the schematic view of the half product of the first embodiment of the fuse cap in accordance with the present invention. As shown, the half product of the fuse cap  10  before molding is formed by a metal strip body  11 ; the material thereof can be of copper, brass, aluminum or other metal alloys. One end of the metal strip body  11  is formed with a cylindrically curved solder connector  110  so as to fill in solder materials for the core of the connector to solder. The other end of the strip body  11  is positioned with a cap flange  13 . Wherein, an opening  132  is in the cap flange  13  and a single side of the perimeter of the opening  132  is formed with a plurality of teeth  134 . The teeth  134  are formed by extensible metal materials such as copper, brass, or aluminum and other alloys; the shape of the teeth  134  can be continuous teeth, discontinuous teeth, curved teeth, rectangular teeth or triangular teeth. When the connection (see  160  in  FIG. 5 ) of the blade fuse passes through the opening  132 , the slightly extensible teeth  134  will tightly clamp the connection  16  so as to form a good electrical contact. However, the main characteristics of the present invention are that a locking element  15  is integrally formed with a predetermined distance from the cap flange  13  between the solder connector  110  and the cap flange  13  on the strip body  11 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the locking element  15  is a neck curved approximately by 180 degrees. The two sides of the neck are formed with at least one pair of the opposite clamping portion  150 . The length of each clamping portion  150  is greater than the thickness of the side of the locking element  15  after they are bent. 
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is the second embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention. The second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the aforesaid first embodiment; however, the difference is in the clamping portion of the locking element. As shown in  FIG. 7 , in the second embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention, the locking element  25  is a curved portion or a gooseneck portion, so as to tightly secure at the edge of the blade box (as shown by  14  of the previous embodiment in  FIG. 5 ) with the blade fuse (as shown by  12  of the previous embodiment in  FIG. 5 ). Wherein, the predetermined distance of the locking element  25  from the cap flange  23  is substantially similar to the height of the blade box. When a fuse cap  20  of the second embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the blade fuse (not shown), the predetermined distance can be completely received by the blade box of the blade fuse. Additionally, the two sides of the locking element  25  are formed with at least one pair of the offset clamping portion  250 ; each clamping portion  250  is integrally formed by the base  250   a  and the cover end  250   b  connecting to each other, and the length of the clamping portion  250  must be greater than the thickness of the side of the locking element  25  after they are bent. As shown by the arrow in  FIG. 7 , the two cover ends  250   b  of the paired offset clamping portion  250  are positioned in the same direction (both curved from bottom to top or both curved from top to bottom) or positioned in the opposite direction (curved one from top and one from bottom) and formed on the two sides of the locking element  25 . 
         [0021]    As mentioned in the previous embodiment, the two sides of the locking element are formed with at least one pair of the opposite clamping portion or the offset clamping portion so as to strengthen the secure engagement of the blade connection between the fuse cap and the blade fuse; the third and fourth embodiments of the present invention further provide novel design on the cap flange. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the three-dimensional views of the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment of the fuse cap of the present invention respectively. As shown in  FIG. 8 , a single tooth  334  is formed at the perimeter of a single side of the opening  332  of the cap flange  33  of the fuse cap  30 ; or alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 9 , one or more opening  432  is stamped on the cap flange  43  of the fuse cap  40 . No tooth is provided on the perimeter of the opening  432 . Wherein, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the single tooth  334  of the third embodiment of the present invention can be formed as curved tooth, rectangular tooth, triangular tooth or other shapes of tooth, and the single tooth  334  made with copper, brass, aluminum or any other alloys is also included with the third embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0023]    The above mentioned is the preferred embodiments of the present invention. They are not meant to limit the patent right of the present invention; at the same time, the above description is for those skilled in the art to better understand and enable the present invention. Therefore, modifications or changes made to the embodiment do not leave the spirit and scope of the present invention and shall be included by the claims set forth below.