Non-arcing fuse
AssigneeLittelfuse, Inc.
InventorBrian Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An arc-mitigating fuse including a tubular fuse body, a first endcap covering a first end of the fuse body and a second endcap covering a second end of the fuse body, a fusible element disposed within the fuse body and extending between the first endcap and the second endcap to provide an electrically conductive pathway therebetween, and an arc-mitigating element disposed within the fuse body and held in a compressed state between the first endcap and the second endcap, the arc-mitigating element adapted to extend to an uncompressed state upon separation of the fusible element.
Claims20
An arc-mitigating fuse comprising:
- a tubular fuse body;
- a first endcap covering a first end of the fuse body and a second endcap covering a second end of the fuse body;
- a fusible element disposed within the fuse body and extending between the first endcap and the second endcap to provide an electrically conductive pathway therebetween;
- and
- an arc-mitigating element disposed within the fuse body and held in a compressed state between the first endcap and the second endcap, the arc-mitigating element adapted to extend to an uncompressed state upon separation of the fusible element, the arc-mitigating element and the fusible element providing parallel, electrically conductive pathways extending from the first end cap to the second endcap.
A method of manufacturing an arc-mitigating fuse, the method comprising:
- attaching a fusible element to a first endcap;
- securing an arc-mitigating element to the first endcap;
- placing a tubular fuse body over the fusible element and the arc-mitigating element with the first endcap covering a first end of the fuse body;
- placing a second endcap over a second end of the fuse body and in engagement with the arc-mitigating element, the fusible element extending through a hole in the second endcap;
- forcing the first endcap and the second endcap toward one another to compress the arc-mitigating element;
- and
- securing the fusible element to the second end cap to hold the arc-mitigating element in a compressed state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.