Patent US4067103A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4067103A
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Method of making a plug-in fuse
Assignee: Littelfuse Inc
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Filing: 1977-02-07
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Granted: 1978-01-10
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Expires: 1997-02-07
Abstract
Abstract A method for making a plug-in fuse assembly like that disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,767, granted Sept. 30, 1975 for Miniature Plug-In Fuse having different desired fuse ratings. The method comprises the steps of providing a strip of fuse metal which is initially preferably provided throughout its length with a continuous longitudinally extending portion of reduced thickness having a fixed thickness dimension and from which fuse link portions of fuse elements are to be stamped. Various selected areas of the strip, those which preferably are not the portions of reduced thickness and from which the terminal portions of the fuses are to be formed, are covered with a non-oxidizable conductive coating, preferably tin plating. The strip of fuse metal is then blanked to form longitudinally spaced still interconnected plug-in fuse element-forming sections each comprising spaced terminal blade portions and current-carrying extensions thereof formed from the thicker tin plated portions of the strip and a fuse link extending between said current-carrying extensions and formed from the unplated portions of the strip. The interconnecting un-plated fuse link portions of fixed reduced thickness dimension are arranged in desired locations and provided with desired configurations, including width and length dimensions, to provide the different desired fuse ratings. The method may include inserting over the end fuse-forming section of the strip either before or after it is severed from the strip a housing made of insulating material, with the current carrying extensions and the interconnecting fuse link portion of each plug-in fuse element within the housing and with the pair of terminal blade portions thereof extending outwardly from the housing.
Inventors
- 👤 Allen L. Ciesmier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:18
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H69/00; H01H69/02; H01H2069/027; H01H85/00; H01H85/02; H01H85/04; H01H85/041; H01H85/0411; H01H85/0415; H01H85/0417; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S29/00; Y10S29/012; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49107; Y10T29/49789; Y10T29/49798
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
A method of making a plug-in fuse element including a plate-like body of an ambient air oxidizable fuse metal having a pair of spaced confronting generally parallel terminal blade portions to be received by pressure clip terminals or the like, current-carrying extensions at the inner ends of said pair of terminal blade portions and a fuse link portion interconnecting the current-carrying extensions, the method comprising the steps of providing a strip of fuse metal having longitudinally spaced blank portions from which individual plug-in fuse elements are to be formed, each blank portion having corresponding portions spaced transversely of the length of the strip from which said fuse link portions, on the one hand, and at least said terminal blade portions, on the other hand, of a plug-in fuse element is to be formed, providing bands of non-oxidizing conductive coatings on the opposite faces of said fuse metal strip which cover at least the terminal blade-forming portions of said blank portions of said strip, the fuse link-forming portions thereof being free of such coatings, sequentially advancing the strip of fuse metal, and blanking said strip in each of said blank portions thereof to form said pairs of terminal blade portions coated with said conductive non-oxidizing coating, said current-carrying extensions interconnected by a fuse link portion free of said non-oxidizing coatings.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
219 words
A method of making a plug-in fuse element including a plate-like body of an ambient air oxidizable fuse metal having a pair of spaced confronting generally parallel terminal blade portions to be received by pressure clip terminals or the like, current-carrying extensions at the inner ends of said pair of terminal blade portions and a fuse link portion interconnecting the current-carrying extensions, the method comprising the steps of providing a strip of fuse metal having longitudinally spaced blank portions from which individual plug-in fuse elements are to be formed, each blank portion having corresponding portions spaced transversely of the length of the strip from which said fuse link portions, on the one hand, and at least said terminal blade portions, on the other hand, of a plug-in fuse element is to be formed, providing bands of non-oxidizing conductive coatings on the opposite faces of said fuse metal strip which cover at least the terminal blade-forming portions of said blank portions of said strip, the fuse link-forming portions thereof being free of such coatings, sequentially advancing the strip of fuse metal, and blanking said strip in each of said blank portions thereof to form said pairs of terminal blade portions coated with said conductive non-oxidizing coating, said current-carrying extensions interconnected by a fuse link portion free of said non-oxidizing coatings.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said strip of fuse metal is selectively provided with said non-oxidizing conductive coatings by masking the fuse link-forming portions thereof while applying said non-oxidizing coatings to the terminal blade-forming portions thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said strip of fuse metal is selectively provided with said non-oxidizing conductive coatings by initially providing a fuse metal strip which is thicker than desired in the areas thereof from which the fuse link portions of said plug-in fuse elements are to be formed, initially coating all exposed surface areas of said strip and then reducing the thickness of said strip in the fuse link-forming areas thereof to produce thereat fuse metal of said desired thickness and to remove said conductive non-oxidizing coatings therefrom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said strip is reduced by removing material from both sides thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the reduction of the thickness of said strip of fuse metal from both sides thereof is provided by forming a continuous longitudinal groove on each side of the strip.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the strip is reduced in thickness by a relatively small amount on one side thereof so that the exposed metal surface of the strip is adjacent to a flat backing wall during said blanking step and the main reduction in thickness of the strip is obtained primarily by a relatively deep groove formed in the opposite side of the strip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
84 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said non-oxidizing conductive coating is formed by passing said strip of fuse metal through the bath of a plating tank in a manner which coats all conductive exposed areas thereof with said non-oxidizing coating material, the tank being provided with plating bath isolating means along which the fuse link-forming portions of the strip are passed to isolate such fuse link-forming portions of the strip from the plating bath, to prevent the application thereto of said non-oxidizing coating material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said strip of fuse metal is thicker than desired in those areas thereof from which said fuse link portions of the fuse elements are to be formed said isolating means isolating said fuse link-forming portions of the strip on only one side thereof, and said method including the step of removing the plated non-oxidizing conductive coating from the other side of the fuse link-forming portions of the strip by forming a groove therein which reduces the thickness of the fuse link-forming portions thereof of the strip to a desired thickness.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method of claim 7 wherein said isolating means comprises and endless bend of material on at least one side of the strip of fuse metal which band is urged against said strip, said strip of fuse metal and band being moved through the bath of the plating tank in the same direction and at substantially the same speed, to minimize frictional drag therebetween.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each of said bands of non-oxidizing conductive coatings is a continuous, longitudinal band of said coating extending substantially the length of said strip of fuse metal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said terminal blade portions blanked from each blank portion of the strip of fuse metal extend longitudinally of the strip, and said fuse link portions extend generally transversely of the length of the strip.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the fuse link-formiing portions of the strip are formed by continuous portions of reduced thickness running longitudinally substantially the full length of the strip, so that the fuse link portions of any one of a number of desired shapes, lengths or configurations and/or locations may be formed in each blank portion of the strip at any desired points therealong.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the terminal blade portions blanked from each blank portion of the strip extends longitudinally of the strip and the fuse link portions blanked therefrom extend generally transversely of the strip, and said bands of non-oxidizing conductive coatings are continuous bands extending longitudinally substantially the full length of the strip on opposite sides of said continuous longitudinally extending portion of reduced thickness, to encompass both the terminal blade-forming portions and the current-carrying extension-forming portions of the strip.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-oxidizing conductive coating on the strip encompasses the current carrying extension-forming portions of the strip as well as the terminal blade-forming portions of the strip.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
218 words
A method of making a plug-in fuse element including a plate-like body of an ambient air oxidizable fuse metal having a pair of spaced confronting generally parallel terminal blade portions to be received by pressure clip terminals or the like, current-carrying extensions at the inner ends of said terminal blade portions and a fuse link portion interconnecting the current-carrying extensions, the method comprising the steps of providing a blank of fuse metal having a portion from which the fuse link portion of the fuse element is to be formed and other portions from which said terminal blade portions and current-carrying extensions thereof are to be formed, the blank being thicker than desired in the areas thereof from which said fuse link is to be formed, initially coating all exposed surface areas of said blank with a non-oxidizing conductive coating, and then reducing the thickness of said blank from both sides thereof in the fuse link-forming area thereof, to produce thereat fuse metal of said desired thickness and to remove said conductive non-oxidizing coatings therefrom, and blanking said blank of fuse metal to form a fuse link of desired resistance value from said reduced thickness fuse link-forming portions of the blank and to form said terminal blade portions and current-carrying extensions thereof in the other portions of the blank.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
218 words
A method of making a plug-in fuse element including a plate-like body of an ambient air oxidizable fuse metal having a pair of spaced confronting generally parallel terminal blade portions to be received by pressure clip terminals or the like, current-carrying extensions at the inner ends of said terminal blade portions and a fuse link portion interconnecting the current-carrying extensions, the method comprising the steps of providing a blank of fuse metal having a portion from which the fuse link portion of the fuse element is to be formed and other portions from which said terminal blade portions and current-carrying extensions thereof are to be formed, the blank being thicker than desired in the areas thereof from which said fuse link is to be formed, initially coating all exposed surface areas of said blank with a non-oxidizing conductive coating, and then reducing the thickness of said blank from both sides thereof in the fuse link-forming area thereof, to produce thereat fuse metal of said desired thickness and to remove said conductive non-oxidizing coatings therefrom, and blanking said blank of fuse metal to form a fuse link of desired resistance value from said reduced thickness fuse link-forming portions of the blank and to form said terminal blade portions and current-carrying extensions thereof in the other portions of the blank.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the blank is reduced in thickness by a relatively small amount on one side thereof so that the exposed metal surface of the blank is contiguous to a flat backing wall during said blanking step and the main reduction in thickness of the blank is obtained primarily by a relatively deep groove formed in the opposite side of the blank.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-01-09 | 1981-07-11 | 1982-01-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-01-09 | 1985-07-11 | 1986-01-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-01-09 | 1989-07-11 | 1990-01-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |