Patent Application
20130330949
Various embodiments relate to fuse housing assemblies.
Conventionally, case-type fuses (such as J-Case, M-Case, and the like) are fuses with a pair of female terminals for receipt of a pair of male blade terminals. Typically, both blades are connected to a printed circuit board (PCB). One of the blades is typically connected to the feed connector, and the other to an output load. The fuse is employed to prevent excessive current from inadvertently being applied to wires connecting the output load.
According to at least one embodiment, a fuse housing assembly is provided with a housing having a base adapted to be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) at least partially over a through aperture. The housing has at least one receptacle sized to receive a case-type fuse. The housing has an aperture in the base aligned with the at least one receptacle for receipt of a terminal blade from the PCB for electrical communication with the case-type fuse. At least one connector blade is mounted to the housing and extends into the at least one receptacle and extends through the base to extend through the PCB through aperture for electrical communication with the case-type fuse and the connector.
According to at least another embodiment, a fuse housing assembly is provided with a PCB having a through aperture and at least one female terminal adjacent the through aperture. A first housing has a base mounted to a first side of the PCB at least partially over the through aperture and at least partially over the at least one female terminal. The first housing has at least one receptacle sized to receive a case-type fuse. At least one first blade is received within the at least one female terminal and extends into the at least one receptacle of the first housing. A second housing is mounted to a second side of the PCB at least partially over the through aperture. The second housing has a receptacle sized to receive a connector. At least one second blade is mounted to the first housing and extends into the at least one receptacle of the first housing and extends through the PCB through aperture and into the second housing receptacle.
According to at least one embodiment, a fuse housing assembly is provided with a PCB having a through aperture and a plurality of female terminals adjacent the through aperture. A first housing has a base mounted to a first side of the PCB at least partially over the through aperture and at least partially over the plurality of female terminals. The first housing has a plurality of receptacles each sized to receive a case-type fuse. A plurality of terminal blades are each received within one of the female terminals and extend into one of the receptacles in the first housing. A second housing is mounted to a second side of the PCB at least partially over the through aperture. The second housing has a receptacle sized to receive a connector. A plurality of connector blades are each mounted to the first housing and extend into one of the plurality of receptacles of the first housing and extend through the PCB through aperture and into the second housing receptacle.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring now to
The PCB 12 includes a through aperture 14 and a plurality of female terminals 16 adjacent to the through aperture 14. A plurality of standard male terminal blades 18 are installed in the female terminals 16 for electrical communication with the PCB 12. The male blades 18 may be soldered to the female terminals 16 prior to assembly of the PCB 12 to the fuse housing assembly 10.
The fuse housing assembly 10 includes an upper housing 20 with a base 22 mounted to the PCB 12 over the through aperture 14 and the female terminals 16. A series of walls 24 extend from the base 22 providing a plurality of receptacles 26 that are each sized to receive a case-type fuse 28. The case-type fuses 28 each include a pair of female terminals 30 for receipt of male terminals. A terminal aperture 32 is formed in each receptacle 26, through the base 22 and aligned with one of the male blade terminals 18 for receipt through each terminal aperture 32 for connection in one of the female terminals 30 of each fuse 28.
The upper housing 20 may also include a boss 34 extending from the base 22 into the through aperture 14 of the PCB 12. A plurality of connector apertures 36 are formed through the base 22 and through the boss 34 within each receptacle 26. Each connector aperture 36 receives a connector blade 38 that extends into the receptacle 26 for electrical communication with the fuse 28, and which extends through the base 22, through the boss 34, and through the aperture 14 in the PCB 12.
The connector blade 38 may be assembled to the upper housing 20, after the upper housing 20 is manufactured, such as by an injection-molding process. Thus, the connector blade 38 may include a shoulder 48 for limiting a depth of installation into the connector aperture 36. The connector blade 38 may also include a plurality of barbs 50, 52 for engaging the connector aperture 36 and retaining the connector blade 38 within the aperture 36. The connector blade 38 may be installed in the upper housing 20 prior to assembly to the PCB 12.
The upper housing 20 is mounted to one side 54, or an upper side 54, of the PCB 12. The word “upper” is a term of art in the context of fuse accessibility; and is also a relative term used for description in light of the drawings; and does not impose any limitations upon the claimed inventions. Referring again to
The lower housing 56 has a receptacle 60 that is aligned with the upper housing 20 so that the second male blades 42 of the connector blade 38 extend into the receptacle 60. The receptacle 60 is sized to receive the connector 44. The fuse housing assembly 10 employs the connector blades 38 with double blade portions 40, 42 for a direct connection of the fuse 28 to a feed connector 44 without an additional connection through the PCB 12 as is common in the prior art. By eliminating intermediate connections, additional terminals are eliminated; consequently also eliminating an additional soldered connection. This improvement improves the effectiveness of the connection; reduces parts; reduces manufacturing steps; reduces the overall size; and reduces cost.
While various embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 61/657,188 filed Jun. 8, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61657188 | Jun 2012 | US |
