Sealed fuse holder

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuse holder comprising two housing elements which, once assembled, together form a tube in which a fuse is accommodated. The first housing element includes a base extending longitudinally along the direction of assembly of the two housing elements with each other. A seal is placed on the base mainly in a plane perpendicular to the direction of assembly. During assembly, the second housing element is brought to at least partially cover the base to sandwich the seal between the two housing elements. A rim extends around the base in the direction of assembly in order to protect the seal until the two housing elements are assembled together.

Claims

1. A fuse holder, comprising: a first and second housing element which, once assembled, are configured to accommodate a fuse; a cap integrally formed with the first or second housing element and extending longitudinally in a direction of assembly of the first and second housing elements; a locking feature having a first part situated on the first housing element and having a second part situated on the second housing element and configured to retain the first and second housing elements assembled together and to form a tube closed at each of its ends by a wall including a passage for a cable portion; a seal disposed on the cap essentially in a plane perpendicular to an assembly direction and covered by the second housing element when the first and second housing elements are locked together; and a seal retaining feature movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the seal retaining feature is integral with a support in which the fuse is accommodated, wherein the seal retaining feature includes two opposed lugs each having a hook configured to lock the support to the first housing element, and wherein the seal is retained on the first housing element when the first and second housing elements are not assembled together.

2. The fuse holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein the seal is an O-ring seal.

3. The fuse holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second housing elements each includes a contact intended to make an electrical connection with a terminal of the fuse and electrically connected to a cable and wherein the first and second housing elements each include a cable passage and a wire seal inserted between the cable and the cable passage.

4. The fuse holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first housing element essentially consists of the cap and a rim integrally molded with the cap extending all around the cap and in the direction of assembly of the first and second housing elements with each other.

5. The fuse holder in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first and second parts of the locking feature engage with each other to lock the first and second housing elements when they are assembled together and wherein the locking feature is at least partly covered by the rim.

6. The fuse holder in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first housing element includes a beveled surface situated at least in part under the rim and flared in the assembly direction corresponding to insertion of a portion of the second housing element under the rim, wherein the beveled surface forms a ramp for leading the seal onto a seating on assembling the first and second housing elements together.

7. The fuse holder in accordance with claim 6, wherein the second housing element includes a flared opening into which are inserted the seating and the seal situated on the first housing element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following detailed description and from the appended drawings. In these drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 represents diagrammatically in perspective one embodiment of a fuse holder in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 represents diagrammatically in perspective an exploded view of the fuse holder from FIG. 1;

(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B represent diagrammatically, in perspective, a support mounted on a housing element of the fuse holder from FIGS. 1 and 2, with the support respectively in the open position and in the closed position;

(5) FIG. 4 represents diagrammatically in longitudinal section on an axial plane the fuse holder from FIGS. 1 and 2; and

(6) FIG. 5 represents diagrammatically in longitudinal section on an axial plane perpendicular to that of FIG. 4 the fuse holder from FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) One example of a fuse holder 1 is represented in FIG. 1. That fuse holder 1 is inserted between two cable portions 2, in an electrical circuit, such as a charging circuit of an electric vehicle. Each cable portion 2 is electrically connected, for example crimped or soldered, to a contact 3 (for example a Delphi female DCS1 contact 6.3 that can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5). Each contact 3 is accommodated in a housing element 4, 5. A first housing element 4 includes locking feature 6 for retaining the second housing element 5, forming a cover. Once assembled, the first housing element 4 and the second housing element 5 form a tube closed at each of its ends by a wall 7 including a passage 8 for each cable portion 2.

(8) As represented in FIG. 2, this fuse holder 1 includes, in addition to the contacts 3 and the first and second housing elements 4 and 5, a fuse support 9, a fuse 10 and an O-ring seal 11. The fuse 10 is accommodated in the support 9, itself accommodated in the tube consisting of the first housing element 4 and the second housing element 5 assembled together. The seal 11, mounted on the first housing element 4, is inserted between the first housing element 4 and the second housing element 5, in the manner of an interfacial seal, in order to provide the seal between them (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Here the locking feature 6 consist of two diametrically opposite elastic attachments 6a on the first housing element 4 each including a respective notch 6b into which clips a lug 6c correspondingly situated on the second housing element 5 (see FIG. 5).

(9) The first housing element 4 essentially consists of a substantially cylindrical cap 4a with an external face 4b partially surrounded by a skirt 4c. The locking feature 6 are partially covered by a rim consisting of a skirt 4c.

(10) As represented in FIG. 3A, the support 9 is in the shape of a cradle with two side walls 12 extending longitudinally between two flanges 13. Two elastic lateral lugs 14 each extend from a respective side wall 12. Each of these lateral lugs 14 includes a detent 14a to form a feature for retaining a fuse 10 in its support 9.

(11) The support 9 also includes a guiding and retaining feature 15 (FIG. 3A). These include two diametrically opposite lugs 15a each including a respective hook 15b intended to retain or to lock the support 9 onto the first housing element 4 (see FIG. 4) in posterior openings 17a (open position of the support 9) or anterior openings 17b (closed position of the support 9). These two lugs 15a constitute a guiding feature that enable the support 9 to be guided and positioned precisely relative to the first housing element 4. These two lugs 15a also constitute a seal retaining feature for retaining the seal 11 on the first housing element 4. The seal retaining feature 15 is integral with the support 9.

(12) FIGS. 3A and 3B respectively show the open and closed positions of the support 9 on the first housing element 4. In the position corresponding to FIG. 3A, the support 9 is in an open or pre-locked position. In this position the fuse 10 can be introduced into the support 9 without having to demount the latter from the first housing element 4. The support 9 is retained, but mobile, on the first housing element 4 because the hooks 15b remain engaged in the posterior openings 17a. Because the support 9 does not have to be completely demounted from the first housing element 4 to introduce the fuse 10 into the latter, the seal 11 continues to be retained on the cap 4a by the lugs 15a.

(13) When the fuse 10 is correctly positioned between the lateral lugs 14, under the detents 14a and with the terminals 10a inserted in the slots 13a, the support 9 can be moved longitudinally, toward its closed position, inside a cavity 18 in the cap 4a of the first housing element 4 and leading to an opening. During this movement, the lugs 15a slide in diametrically opposite grooves 20 disposed longitudinally on the external face 4b of the cap 4a (see FIG. 2). Accordingly, on insertion of the support 9 into the first housing element 4, the latter is inevitably correctly oriented, so that the opening of the female contact 3, which is accommodated in the first housing element 4, is aligned with the corresponding terminal 10a.

(14) In this closed position of the support 9 the second housing element 5 can be threaded onto the support 9 and around the cap 4a, to be locked by the locking feature 6. As can be seen in FIG. 1 in particular, the second housing element 5 includes poka yoke feature 16 enabling an operative to orient it correctly relative to the support 9. Accordingly, upon its insertion onto the support 9, the second housing element 5 is inevitably correctly oriented, and so the opening of the female contact 3 that is accommodated therein is aligned with the corresponding terminal 10a.

(15) As shown in FIG. 4, the first housing element 4 and the second housing element 5 assembled in this way form a closed tube that is sealed by the interfacial seal 11 and the individual wire seals 19 crimped with the cables portions 2 onto the contacts 3.

(16) As can also be seen in FIG. 4, the seal 11 is disposed on the cap 4a essentially in a plane perpendicular to the assembly direction A. It is covered by the second housing element 5 when the first and second housing elements 4, 5 are assembled together.

(17) The first housing element 4 includes a beveled surface 20, situated under the rim consisting of the skirt 4c. It flares in an assembly direction corresponding to the insertion of a portion of the second housing element 5 under this rim. This beveled surface 20 forms a ramp for leading the interfacial seal 11 onto a seating 21 when assembling the first housing element 4 and the second housing element 5 together.

(18) The second housing element 5 includes a flared opening 22 into which the seating 21 and the seal 11 are inserted.

(19) The seal 11 is therefore at least in part protected by the rim consisting of the skirt 4c. This rim extending on the one hand all around the cap 4a and on the other hand in the direction of assembly of the first housing element 4 and the second housing element 5 to each other. The seal 11 is therefore protected even when the second housing element 5 is not assembled with the first housing element 4. Moreover, the lugs 15a are able to retain the seal 11 on the first housing element 4, under the skirt 4c, when the support 9 is in the closed position (which advantageously corresponds to the shipping position of the assembly consisting of the first housing element 4 and the support 9).

(20) It can equally be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 that the second housing element 5 snugly surrounds the support 9 in which the fuse 10 is precisely accommodated, which the fuse 10 is itself connected to contacts 3 firmly and reliably locked in their respective housing.

(21) A fuse holder 1 with a single support 9 for a single fuse 10 has been described above, but in accordance with variants the fuse holder 1 in accordance with the invention may include either a single support 9 but one that is able to accommodate a plurality of fuses 10 or a plurality of supports 9 each accommodating one or more fuses 10. All these variants may have one or more of the features defined in the claims.