US 7,659,804 B2 · High voltage/high current fuse

Abstract

A fuse for a high voltage/high current application, such as a hydro-electric vehicle (“HEV”) application is provided. The fuse employs a variety of arc quenching features to handle a large amount of arcing energy that is generated when such fuse is opened due to a fuse opening event. In one embodiment, an insulative substrate, such as a melamine substrate, is metallized with a fuse element. The fuse element extends to multiple surfaces of the substrate. A fuse opening portion of the element is located so that the arcing energy is forced to travel along multiple insulative planes, increasing an impedance across the opening of the element and decreasing the likelihood of a sustained arc. Also, the substrate and element are disposed in a sealed housing, which is packed in one embodiment with an arc quenching material, such as sand.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A fuse comprising:

an insulative body;
a fuse element assembly held by the insulative body, the fuse element assembly including an insulative substrate;
a fuse element disposed on two sides of the insulative substrate and extending through a hole in the insulative substrate, the fuse element including an area configured and arranged to open upon a fuse opening event, the fuse element extending to first and second ends of the insulative substrate;
first and second terminals connected electrically to the fuse element at the first and second ends of the insulative substrate wherein at least one of the first and second terminals includes a mounting hole in the terminal that mates with a mounting hole in the insulative substrate;
and
an arc quenching material placed within the insulative body and contacting at least a portion of the fuse element.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High voltage/high current fuse

Life of this patent

High voltage/high current fuse

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29