Shielded fuse assembly

Apparatus of the type described comprising in combination,

• an elongated housing of electrical insulating material including means defining an interior chamber and means defining first and second spaced terminal means communicating with said chamber,
• an electrical device positioned in said chamber and connected to said terminal means, said electrical device completing an electrical circuit between said terminal means under normal circuit conditions and operative to interrupt said electrical circuit at a preselected abnormal circuit condition.
• first and second shields of electrically conductive material each electrically connected to a respective one of said terminal means, said shields positioned wholly within and completely surrounded by the material of said housing,
• said housing being formed by first and second portions joined along a generally radial plane,
• said shields including ends positioned on opposite sides of said plane and spaced from each other,
• so that both when said electrical device completes and interrupts said electrical circuit all voltage stress occurs from said shields across the housing material and not from the electrical device and across any part of the chamber,
• a gasket positioned at said joint between said first and second housing portions with a portion of said gasket positioned between the spaced ends of said shields and forming a portion of the dielectric between said shield ends,
• and said first and second shields being spaced so that a closed electrical circuit between said first and second terminals does not exist through said shields but being closely adjacent so that dielectric flux lines fringe between said ends without substantial penetration into said chamber.

Apparatus of the type described comprising in combination,

• a housing including an interior chamber and first and second spaced terminal means communicating with said chamber,
• an electrical device positioned in said chamber and connected to said terminal means, said electrical device completing an electrical circuit between said terminal means under normal circuit conditions and operative to interrupt said electrical circuit at a preselected abnormal circuit condition,
• said housing being formed by first and second portions joined along a generally radial plane,
• a gasket at said joint between said first and second housing portions,
• said gasket includes a central body portion closely engaging the outer surface of said electrical device to divide the housing chamber into two portions and interrupting a direct path between said first and second terminal means along the walls of said chamber.