Cigarette lighter plug assembly

Claim 1

An improved cigarette lighter plug assembly, said assembly comprising in combination: a longitudinally extending plug body having sidewalls and end wall defining a hollow interior and a plurality of openings extending through said walls into communication with said interior, one of said openings extending longitudinally through the front end wall of said plug body; a fuse retainer releasably disposed in said front opening, said fuse retainer having fuse-receiving passageway extending longitudinally therethrough, substantially coaxial with said front opening and having fuse retaining means; said fuse retainer including a plurality of interlocking means thereon adapted to coact with mating interlocking means disposed on said plug assembly; said fuse retaining means comprising a plurality of flexible fingers extending rearwardly from said fuse retainer and adapted to releasably retain a metallic fuse; a metallic fuse comprising a tubular member enclosing a resistance element with a front end cap and a rear end cap disposed about said tubular member, said caps having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the tubular member, said fuse being releasably disposed longitudinally in said passageway, with the front thereof extending forward of said body and said retainer, said metallic fuse being moveably retained within said passageway by said plurality of fingers, each of which contact said tubular member and thereby prevent movement of said rear end cap forwardly through said passageway; first contact means in said plug body interior contacting said rear end cap and biasing said fuse forward against said fingers; second contact means in said plug body interior isolated from said first contact means and extending laterally of said plug body for contact with the sidewall of a cigarette lighter receptacle; and electrical conduits separately connected to said first and second contact means and extending rearwardly of said plug body.