Fuse holder for an automotive fuse terminal block

Claim 1

A fuse holder for use in a terminal block for providing connection between an automobile electrical system and fuses used in connection with the automotive electrical system, said fuses being of a miniature nature and having a pair of blade contacts, said fuse holder having a spring clip with a pair of prongs adapted for holding therebetween a blade contact of said fuse and a pair of attachment means for attaching an electrically conductive wire to said fuse holder; said fuse holder further including a stop means longitudinally aligned with the wire to be connected and positioned between the wire and said two prongs of said fuse holder so that portions of said wire do not interfere with said prongs and impede connection to said blade contact of the fuse; said fuse holder includes a plurality of spring clips, each having a laterally extending bus bar portion which together form an elongated bus bar from which said spring clips extend at spaced intervals; said elongated bus bar having a first elongated path and a second elongated path, said first and second paths being generally parallel with spacing therebetween, said first and second elongated paths being connected by spaced reinforcing members extending between said first and second paths; and at least some of said spaced reinforcing members having extending therefrom a pair of attaching prongs for receiving the electrically conducting wire of a lead to be connected to said fuse holder so that when an electrical wire is attached to said fuse holder by said attaching prongs, electrical access to said electrical lead is available both through said first path and said second path, thereby, for a given fuse holder width, increasing the current carrying capacity of said fuse holder in comparison to a fuse holder having a single path.