US 8,911,264 B2Granted

Connector with integral fuse holder

AssigneeCooper Technologies Company

InventorsRahul Natwar Goyal, Surind Gulrajani

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Abstract

A connector with an integral fuse holder is described herein. The connector can include a portion having a fuse receiver disposed within a cavity and coupled to an electrical connection feature. The connector can include an end coupled to the portion, where the end includes a wall that forms a cavity. The connector can further include a fuse assembly having a contact member, a fuse, a fuse holder, and a conductor receiver. The contact member can couple to the electrical connection feature. The fuse holder can include a first end that couples to a top end of the fuse and the contact member, and a second end that couples to a bottom end of the fuse. The conductor receiver can couple to the second end of the fuse holder and to the bottom end of the fuse. A receiving feature of the conductor receiver can couple to a conductor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An integral connector end, comprising:

a first piece comprising:
a top portion comprising a connector coupling portion and an electrical connection feature, wherein the electrical connection feature comprises an electrically conductive material, wherein the connector coupling portion and the electrical connection feature are located toward a first end of the first piece;
and
a middle portion comprising a first wall that surrounds a first cavity and a fuse receiver disposed within the first cavity, wherein the fuse receiver is electrically coupled to the electrical connection feature, wherein the first wall has disposed thereon at least one coupling feature, and wherein the at least one coupling feature is located toward a second end of the first piece, wherein the second end is opposite the first end;
and
a second piece comprising a bottom portion removeably coupled to the middle portion of the first piece, wherein the bottom portion comprises a second wall that forms a second cavity through which an end of a fuse and a conductor traverse, wherein the second wall has disposed thereon at least one complementary coupling feature that couples to the at least one coupling feature of the middle portion,
wherein the connector coupling portion, the first wall, and the second wall are made of electrically non-conductive material.

4 more elements

A photovoltaic (PV) solar panel connector assembly, comprising:

a first connector portion comprising a first connector coupling portion and a first electrical connection feature;
a second connector portion that mechanically couples to the first connector portion, wherein the second connector portion comprises:
a top portion comprising a second connector coupling portion and a second electrical connection feature, wherein the second electrical connection feature comprises an electrically conductive material and wherein the second connector coupling portion couples to the first connector coupling portion, and wherein the second connector coupling portion and the second electrical connection feature are located toward a first end of the second connector portion;
and
a middle portion comprising a first wall that surrounds a first cavity, a third connector coupling portion, and a fuse receiver disposed within the first cavity, wherein the fuse receiver is electrically coupled to the electrical connection feature, wherein the third connector coupling portion is located toward a second end of the second connector portion, wherein the second end is opposite the first end;
a third connector portion comprising a bottom portion removeably coupled to the middle portion of the second connector portion, wherein the bottom portion comprises a second wall that forms a second cavity and a fourth connector coupling portion, wherein the fourth connector coupling portion is coupled to the third connector coupling portion, wherein the connector coupling portion, the first wall, and the second wall are made of electrically non-conductive material;
a fuse assembly electrically coupled to the fuse receiver after being inserted through the second cavity, wherein the fuse assembly comprises:
a fuse having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end and the bottom end each comprise an electrically conductive material, and wherein the fuse has a first end disposed in the second cavity of the bottom portion and a remainder disposed within the first cavity of the middle portion of the second connector portion;
a fuse holder comprising a first end comprising electrically conductive material, wherein the first end is electrically coupled to the bottom end of the fuse;
and
a conductor receiver electrically coupled to the first end of the fuse holder and to the bottom end of the fuse, wherein the conductor receiver comprises a receiving feature;
and
a conductor electrically and mechanically coupled to the conductor receiver.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/657,488Filed 22 Oct 2012
Published: US 2014/0113500 A124 Apr 2014
Granted: 16 Dec 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H01R 13/688
The fuse being removable: with housing part adapted for accessing the fuse
H02S 40/36
Electrical components: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module…
H01R 13/5221
Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal: having cable sealing means
H01R 13/684
With built-in fuse: the fuse being removable