Abstract:
A fuse is disclosed, the fuse made of a first metal, such as copper, and having a notched portion with an alloying element, such as tin, deposited in the notch. The alloying element helps to lower the voltage drop across the notch, allowing the fuse to generate less heat during operation without affecting its ability to protect a circuit to which it is connected. The fuse may also include a housing and terminals to connect into a circuit.

Description:
CLAIM TO PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present disclosure claims priority to, and the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of, U.S. Prov. Appl. 61/024,791, filed on Jan. 30, 2008, and entitled “Low Temperature Fuse,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to circuit protection. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to fuses, such as relatively high current fuses. 
         [0003]    A difference exists between a “fuse” and a “protector.” A fuse protects against short circuit events and overloads. Protectors are considered to only provide short circuit protection. It is desirable that the protectors, which typically operate at higher current ratings, also provide short circuit protection. To do so, the protectors need to run cooler. 
         [0004]    It is also desirable for a fuse to run cooler, which allows less expensive plastics for the fuse housing and surrounding structures, having lower melting temperatures, to be used. 
         [0005]    It is further desirable for a fuse to operate with a lower voltage drop, saving power and further reducing temperature. 
         [0006]    It is additionally desirable for a fuse to respond to a wider range of overcurrent conditions. 
         [0007]    For certain fuses, vibration and mounting become an issue. Both place mechanical stress on the fuse, which can cause the fuse element to rupture. 
         [0008]    The fuse of the present disclosure attempts to address the above issues. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present disclosure includes a fuse having a fuse element, which allows the fuse to run cooler and provides a lower voltage drop than in known like fuses. A gap is formed in the fuse element and is filled with a low temperature material, such as tin or tin-alloy. This structure is different than merely applying a tin spot on the top of the fuse element as has been done previously. The tin actually forms or becomes part of the fuse element. The high amount of the low temperature material allows the element to run cooler, which provides a number of benefits. One of the benefits is that the housing of the fuse can be made of a lower melting temperature and thus a lower cost insulating plastic. Also, the customer&#39;s fuse box in which the fuse is mounted can be made of a lower grade and more inexpensive material. Alternatively, the same fuse box can be used and fitted with more components. 
         [0010]    The tin infill or inlay in an embodiment consumes at least sixty percent of the height of the base metal or copper. In one embodiment, about eighty percent or greater of the height is removed and filled with the tin insert. This allows certain types of fuses having higher ratings, for example, above about 350 amperes, to be used for both short circuit and low overload protection. The present design opens the possibility of increasing the thermal mass of the element, outputting a higher I 2 t (current-time rating) output at a lower rated current than in a similar known fuse. This enables the fuses to be used in areas previously unobtainable, such as fuses for certain starters, batteries and automotive power cables. The resulting fuse also responds to a wider range of overcurrent conditions. 
         [0011]    The metal portion of the fuse can be fixed to the insulative housing at locations very close to the fuse element. Such connection allows the element and thus the resulting fuse to better withstand mechanical stress due to fuse mounting and operational vibrations. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, the fuse opens below about 300° C., which is a significant improvement over similar fuses that have opened at about 550° C. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the gap in the base or copper material also includes a hole or aperture. The hole or aperture holds the tin or low melting temperature infill in place using the surface tension of the low melting temperature metal. When the fuse is placed under load, the tin spot becomes warm and soft. The hole helps to ensure that the tin infill does not slide off the base material. The tin flows through the hole and can flow onto the outer surface of the base copper, which tends to lock the tin spot in place. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the fuse includes a housing and a conductive portion. The conductive portion is covered by the housing and has first and second terminals. The terminals extend from a fuse element of the conductive portion. The fuse element comprises a conductive metal and defines a gap filled with a low melting temperature metal. 
         [0015]    In an embodiment, the gap in cross-section removes at least about sixty percent of the conductive metal, i.e., about sixty percent of the cross section is removed. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment, the gap is completely filled with the low melting temperature metal. 
         [0017]    In an embodiment, the conductive metal is one of copper and a copper alloy. 
         [0018]    In an embodiment, the low melting temperature metal is one of a tin and a tin alloy. 
         [0019]    In yet another embodiment, the housing is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: nylon, polyphthalamide, phenolic and polyethylene terephthalate. 
         [0020]    In an embodiment, the housing is fixed to the conductive portion at least one point located directly adjacent to the fuse element portion. 
         [0021]    In an embodiment, the housing is fixed to the conductive portion at least one point located directly adjacent to the gap. 
         [0022]    In still another embodiment, the conductive or base metal forms a bottom surface of the gap and includes an aperture through the bottom surface of the gap. 
         [0023]    In an embodiment, the low melting temperature metal fills the aperture. 
         [0024]    In an embodiment, the low melting temperature metal extends onto a surface of the conductive or base metal opposing the bottom surface of the gap. 
         [0025]    In another embodiment, the fuse element includes a housing and a conductive portion, in which the conductive portion is covered by the housing and includes first and second terminals. The terminals extend from a fuse element portion of the conductive portion. The fuse element portion includes an infilled low temperature metal which is configured to: (i) lower an operating temperature of the conductive portion, and (ii) lower a voltage drop across the conductive portion as compared to a fuse element portion of the conductive portion not having the infilled, low temperature metal. 
         [0026]    In an embodiment, the fuse element portion includes a base metal defining a gap and the low temperature metal is infilled into the gap. 
         [0027]    In an embodiment, the gap is formed by skiving or stamping. 
         [0028]    In still a further embodiment, the base metal forms a bottom surface of the gap and includes an aperture through the bottom surface. The low temperature metal fills the aperture. 
         [0029]    In an embodiment, the conductive portion includes a base metal that is at least partially copper. The low temperature metal is at least partially tin. 
         [0030]    In yet another embodiment, the fuse includes first and second outermost spaced terminal portions, first and second arms and a fuse link-forming intermediate portion. The first and second arms extend from the respective first and second terminal portions. The fuse link-forming intermediate portion is between the first and second arms. The fuse link-forming intermediate portion includes a main copper portion, a notched portion, and a tin portion. The main copper portion has a first thickness and the notched portion is disposed in the main copper portion and has a second thickness. The second thickness is less than about forty percent of the first thickness. The tin portion is disposed in the notched portion. 
         [0031]    In an embodiment, a housing is disposed around a fuse element, the first and second arms, and at least portions of the first and second terminal portions. 
         [0032]    In an embodiment, securing members are disposed on the first and second arms directly adjacent to the fuse link-forming portion. 
         [0033]    In another embodiment, the fuse maintains an operating temperature of less than about 300° C. 
         [0034]    It is accordingly an advantage of the present disclosure to provide a fuse that affords short circuit and low overload protection at higher current ratings. 
         [0035]    It is another advantage of the present disclosure to provide a fuse that runs cooler, such that the fuse can have a housing made of a lower melting temperature and thus lower cost polymer. 
         [0036]    It is a further advantage of the present disclosure to provide a fuse that operates with a relatively low voltage drop, conserving power. 
         [0037]    It is yet another advantage of the present disclosure to provide a fuse that better withstands vibration and mechanical stress experienced when mounted. 
         [0038]    Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0039]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the fuse of the present disclosure. 
           [0040]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of one embodiment of a metal portion of the fuse of the present disclosure. 
           [0041]      FIGS. 3A to 3C  illustrate one embodiment for forming the fuse element of the present disclosure. 
           [0042]      FIG. 4  is an elevation, sectioned view of one embodiment of the fuse element of the present disclosure. 
           [0043]      FIG. 5  is an alternative embodiment of the fuse of the present disclosure. 
           [0044]      FIG. 6  is a graph illustrating the improved voltage drop characteristics of the fuse of the present disclosure. 
           [0045]      FIG. 7  is a graph illustrating the low overload operation of the fuse of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0046]    Referring now to the drawings and in particular to  FIG. 1 , fuse  10  illustrates one embodiment of the low operating temperature, low voltage drop fuse of the present disclosure. The fuse element and resulting fuse can be used in various types of automotive fuses, such as ATO®, MINI®, MAXI™, JCASE™, MIDI®, CablePro®, low profile MINI® or low profile JCASE™ fuses provided by the assignee of the present disclosure. 
         [0047]    Fuse  10  includes a housing  12  and a metal or conductive portion  50   a . Due to the low operating temperature of conductive portion  50   a  and the ability to fix housing  12  to conductive portion  50   a  close to the fuse element portion of conductive portion  50   a , housing  12  can be made of a relatively inexpensive and lower melting temperature plastic. Housing  12  in one embodiment is made of first and second halves  14  and  16 , which are fixed together at staking or riveting positions  18   a  to  18   d . Stake or riveting positions  18   a  to  18   d , which can support cold staking, hot staking or riveting, also fix metal portion  50   a  within housing  10 . To facilitate the heat staking of insulative housing  12 , flat portions  20   a  and  20   b  are provided to overlay the staking holes (shown below) of conductive portion  50   a.    
         [0048]    Another advantage of the fuse of the present disclosure is that the low opening temperature of the fuse element of conductive portion  50   a  allows attachment positions  18   a  to  18   d  (or at least some of them) to be made or placed closer to the fuse element as shown below. Such placement helps to stabilize the fuse at the fuse element, which is the weakest portion of conductive portion  50   a . The overall element, and thus overall fuse  10 , is accordingly better able to withstand vibrations. 
         [0049]    In an alternative embodiment, halves  14  and  16  of housing  12  are additionally adhered together, heat sealed together, ultrasonically sealed together or sealed together via a solvent bond. In a further alternative embodiment, housing  12  is over-molded as one piece around conductive portion  50   a . Even when housing  12  is a single piece, the housing is fixed in some manner to conductive portion  50   a , e.g., via cold stakes, hot stakes or rivet areas  18   a  to  18   d.    
         [0050]    Conductive portion  50   a  in one embodiment is made of pure copper. Alternatively, conductive portion  50   a  is made of a copper alloy, such as  151  alloy,  1925  alloy,  194  alloy, and  197  alloy. In one embodiment, conductive portion  50   a  is comprised of at least about ninety percent copper. 
         [0051]    Conductive portion  50   a  includes first and second terminals  52   a  and  54   a . Terminals  52   a  and  54   a  in  FIG. 1  define mounting holes  56   a  and  56   b , respectively. Fuse  10  in the illustrated embodiment is particularly well suited for a high current application, such as protecting an alternator of an automobile or protecting relatively high power lines leading from an automobile battery to a sub-system, which in turn has lower rated fuses. Terminals  52   a  and  54   a  can mount for example to one of the terminals of a car battery, for example. 
         [0052]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , an alternative conductive portion  50   b  for fuse  10  is illustrated. Conductive portion  50   b  includes alternative terminals  52   b  and  54   b , which are configured for crimping around a wire or cable. It should be appreciated that conductive portions  50   a  and  50   b  and the other conductive portions discussed herein are shown having a generally in line configuration. It should also be appreciated that the teachings of the present disclosure are applicable to other configurations. Conductive portion  50   b  is made of any of the materials listed above for conductive portion  50   a.    
         [0053]    Extensions  62   a  and  62   b  extend respectively from terminals  52   b  and  54   b  to a central fuse element  60 . As illustrated, extension  62   a  and  62   b  define mounting holes  58   a  to  58   d , which are aligned with mounting areas  18   a  to  18   d  of housing  12 . In an alternative embodiment, halves  14  and  16  of housing  12  including mating male and female apparatuses that snap-fit together through apertures  58   a  to  58   d  of the conductive portion of fuse  10 . 
         [0054]    Fuse element  60  as illustrated includes a gap  62 , which is formed via surfaces  64   a  to  64   c  of a base metal portion  66  of terminals  60 . An aperture  68  is formed in the bottom surface  64   b , which defines a portion of gap  62 . Base metal  66 , gap surface  64   b , extensions  62   a  and  62   b  and terminals  52   b  and  54   b  in one embodiment are made of a single piece of any of the metals discussed above. Terminals extensions are formed via suitable metal bending processes. Apertures  58   a  to  58   d  and  68  in one embodiment are punched but can alternatively be laser cut or cut via a wire EDM process. Gap  62  is formed via a skiving or stamping process. 
         [0055]    In one embodiment, conductive portion  50   b  (and each of the conductive portions discussed herein) is bent, punched and singulated prior to the skiving or stamping formation of gap  62 . In an alternative embodiment, an elongated slot forming many gaps  62  of many conductive portions  50  (referring collectively to each of the conductive portions discussed herein) is formed before the conductive portions  50  are singulated. 
         [0056]    As shown in more details below, gap  62  is filled, e.g., filled completely, with a low melting temperature material, such as tin or tin-alloy. The infill low temperature material operates differently than a known a Metcalf effect because the infill tin or other low melting temperature material becomes part of fuse element  60 . The overall effect of the low melting temperature element  60  is to allow fuse  10  to operate more coolly and with a lower voltage drop across the fuse than if the gap was not filled with the low melting temperature material. 
         [0057]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3A to 3C , one sequence for forming the low operating temperature, low voltage drop fuse element  60  of the present disclosure is illustrated.  FIG. 3A  illustrates a stock of base metal  66 , which for convenience is shown here not connected to extensions  62   a  and  62   b . It should be appreciated however that metal portion  66  can be a unitary piece with the terminals and extensions as discussed above.  FIG. 3B  illustrates an intermediate step in which gap  62  is skived or stamped to produce grooved surfaces  64   a ,  64   b  and  64   c . While gap  62  is shown as being generally rectangular in cross-section (see also  FIG. 4 ), gap  62  is alternatively U-shaped or otherwise shaped to provide a desired low temperature, low voltage drop operation. After gap  62  is formed, hole  68  is drilled or punched or otherwise formed as described above. Hole  68  can be relatively small, such as about 0.040 inch in diameter. Hole  68  as seen in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4  extends all the way through the bottom surface  64   b  forming a portion of gap  62 . Gap  62  is also shown extending through an entire width w of base metal  66 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 3C  illustrates a completed low temperature, low voltage drop fuse element  60 , in which low temperature melting material  70  has been filled into gap  62 . Low temperature melting material  70  can be tin, tin-alloy. It may also be possible to use bismuth or bismuth-alloy. The length l of infill  70 , element height H the length L of fuse element  60  and width w of fuse element  60  and infill element  70  are sized to provide desired current rating and I 2 R (current-resistance rating) characteristic for the resulting fuse. 
         [0059]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a section view of fuse element  60  is illustrated. As shown, the gap  62  and resulting low temperature infill  70  consume at least about sixty percent of the height H of base material  66 . That is, the thickness x of the bottom surface  64   b  of base metal  66  is less than or equal to about forty percent of total height H of base metal  66 . In one preferred embodiment, x is less than or equal to about twenty percent of total height H of base metal  66 . 
         [0060]      FIG. 4  also illustrates that infill element  70  includes an upper portion  72  that fills gap  62  and a lower portion or bead  74  that extends through aperture  68  and onto a surface opposing bottom surface  64   b  of base metal  66 . The bead  74  can be ground away, such that the bottom of fuse element  60  is smooth. Likewise, the top surface of upper portion  72  can be ground or otherwise smoothed. Aperture  68  is beneficial because it holds the element  70 , e.g., tin, in place using the surface tension of the tin. When element  60  is under load, tin or other low melting temperature element  70  warms and becomes soft. Aperture  68  and flow-through portion  74  of element  70  help to ensure that in this state the tin infill  70  does not come free under vibration. 
         [0061]    In one embodiment, tin element  70  provides an operating temperature of below about 300° C. (fuse opens at about 300° C.), which is an improvement over existing (e.g., tin dot or in spot based) fuses which open at about 550° C. Because element  60  opens at or below about 300° C., housing  12  can be a plastic housing with supports that are very close to the element, as seen in  FIG. 5 . Element  60  runs cooler and has a lower voltage drop (e.g., about sixty percent of a known like fuse as seen in  FIG. 6 ), which allows the customer the option to use a less expensive plastic for the corresponding fuse box. Alternatively, the customer can increase the density of components located within a higher temperature plastic fuse box. Further, as discussed above, housing  12  can be made of a lower temperature and less expensive material. The better performing fuse element  60  also opens the possibility of increasing the thermal mass of fuse  10  to provide a higher I 2 t (current-time rating) value at a lower rated current than with existing fuses. In one embodiment, fuse  10  can therefore be used in a wider range of starter fuse, battery fuse and battery cable fuse applications. 
         [0062]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , metal portion  50   c  illustrates the structural benefits of fuse element  60  having low temperature insert  70 . Metal portion  50   c  includes terminals  52   c  and  54   c , each having a bolt opening  56   a  and  56   b , respectively. Both the larger bolt openings and/or the vibration of metal portion  50   c  during operation place mechanical stress on the relatively weak element  60 . The vibration and mounting of fuse  10  have been known to rupture or break metal portion  56   c  at the fuse element. In previous fuses, the element  60  runs hotter such that mounting holes  58   a  to  58   d  have to be spaced further away from the element than as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The lower operating temperature of fuse element  60  of the present disclosure enables mounting holes  58   e  and  58   f  to be placed directly adjacent to fuse element  60  as shown in  FIG. 5 . It is expected that mounting holes  58   e  and  58   f  can be located about 0.070 inch or greater away from low temperature insert  70 . Providing mounting holes this close to opening portion of element  60  at infill  70  stabilizes the relatively weak area both during the mounting of metal portion  50   c  and during operation of the load, which can for example be located in an automobile, which imparts a rigorous amount of vibration to fuse  10 . 
         [0063]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a pair of fuses having fuse element  60  of the present disclosure were tested for voltage drop at two different loads versus two fuses not having the low temperature infill  70 . The highest two lines in the graph represent performance of Control 1 and Control 2, a set of standard MEGA® fuses provided by the assignee of the present disclosure. The lower two lines in the graph represent performance of Low Temperature 1 and Low Temperature 2, fuse elements  60  including infilled metal  70  as discussed herein. As shown, the voltage drop during thirty minutes at seventy percent of rated load current and during thirty minutes of one-hundred percent rated load current for the present fuses is about sixty percent less than that of the two control samples.  FIG. 6  confirms that fuse  10  of the present disclosure has a lower voltage drop than similar fuses without element  60 . The voltage drop for fuses with infill element  70  is lower due to a decreased amount of conductive material near gap  62  of fuse element  60 . The low temperature material of infill element  70  (e.g., tin or other alloying element) cools the fuse and lowers its overall resistance, resulting in a lower voltage drop. 
         [0064]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the low overload operation of fuse  10  is illustrated. The same two types of fuses in  FIG. 6  are shown in  FIG. 7 , namely, the control or known MEGA® fuse and the low temperature fuse  10  of the present disclosure. The control fuse shown by the left, higher line shows that, when running at about one-hundred thirty-five percent of rated amperage, the fuse opens in about thirteen minutes. Fuse  10  with element  60  of the present disclosure, shown by the right and lower line, opens a short period of time after the control fuses, while providing a lower temperature, low voltage drop, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0065]    It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.