US 4,499,447 AGranted

Blade terminal fuses with integrity indicator

AssigneeGuim Multi-Tech Corporation

InventorM. Barry Greenberg

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Abstract

An integrity indicator formed as an illuminable bead is combined with the pair of flat terminal blades of a miniature plug-in fuse and is positioned in a central window provided in the top wall of the insulator housing thereof. The housing defines a chamber having an open bottom and a central section with relatively narrow lateral sections in which upper portions of the blades are secured. A fuse-wire extends across the central section conductively interconnecting the blades. The illuminable bead has a pair of wire leads extending oppositely into the lateral sections of the chamber, each wire lead conductively contacting the upper portion of one of the blades and connecting the bead in parallel circuit with the fuse-wire. Clamping components formed on the interior of the top wall and on the upper portion of each terminal blade secure each wire lead in operative position. Embodiments include the fuse-wire integrally formed with the blades as a unitary structure and formed separately as a three piece structure wherein opposite ends of the fuse-wire are also secured by the clamping components, the latter being either in coplanar relation with the blades or disposed perpendicular to the plane of the blades.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A blade terminal fuse having an integrity indicator comprising an insulator housing formed with a top wall, an interior chamber having relatively narrow lateral sections on opposite sides of a central section and an open bottom, a pair of flat terminal blades in coplanar spaced relation having upper portions located in said chamber lateral sections and lower portions projecting downwardly from said open bottom, a fuse-wire extending through said chamber central section conductively connected in series with said terminal blades, said top wall being formed with a central window above said chamber central section and being formed on the interior side thereof on opposite sides of said window with a component of a clamping means, said integrity indicator being an illuminable bead located in said chamber central section in register with said top wall window and having wire leads extending oppositely into said chamber lateral sections conductively contacting said terminal blade upper portions whereby said illuminable bead is in series with said blades and in parallel with said fuse-wire, said terminal blade upper portions each being formed with a companion component of said clamping means, the clamping means securing each of said wire leads in said conductive contact with each terminal blade upper portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.