ES3020957B2 - FUSE HOLDER ASSEMBLY - Google Patents

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0004] FUSE HOLDER ASSEMBLY

[0006] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The object of the present invention falls within the electrical sector. More specifically, a fuse holder assembly, also known in the sector as a BUC base, is proposed, which is preferably configured to house a D02 or D03 fuse.

[0010] TECHNICAL PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The prior art provides knowledge of various load-break fuse holder assemblies for NH-type fuses, sizes 00, 1, 2, 3, and 4/4c. NH fuses comprise blades, and their connection is made by means of clamps that press the blades against each side of the fuse. In fuse holder assemblies for NH-type fuses, this connection is made internally so that, for installation, the operator simply has to connect the fuse holder assembly in its position, and the NH-type fuse is then correctly installed.

[0014] D02 fuses are connected lengthwise, i.e., by means of plates at each end that press against the fuse (which is a cylindrical body). Currently, D02 fuses are installed using fuse holders that include a plate at the rear that clamps against the mounting bar. These fuse holders also include, at the front, a fuse support, which is attached to the rear plate by fixing screws (with the mounting bar positioned between the rear plate and the front support). A technical problem associated with current D02 fuse holders is that they are not load-break (i.e., they do not allow the fuse holder to be opened without disconnecting the power).

[0016] Therefore, there is currently no fuse holder assembly on the market for D02 fuses that functions as a switch-disconnector-fuse. That is, one that allows load breaking, guarantees dielectric insulation in the open position, and also allows the use of a fuse. To date, neither installers nor standards bodies have required it. A change in requirements is anticipated that will lead at least one Spanish standards body to require the installation of fuse holder assemblies for this type of D02 fuse in their equipment.

[0018] Fuse holder assemblies for D03 type fuses, which have the same configuration as D02 but are of a different size, are also unknown in the state of the art.

[0020] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a BUC base (fuse holder assembly) that meets all the safety and ease of installation and use requirements currently governing existing fuse holder assemblies that are known for other types of fuses, such as those already on the market for NH type fuses.

[0022] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The invention relates to a fuse holder assembly, preferably configured to house a D02 type fuse. The proposed fuse holder assembly allows opening under load (with voltage and current like a switch), guarantees insulation in the open position (like a disconnector) and ensures user safety during operation.

[0026] The assembly comprises a housing that contains the fuse, which, when in position, is held between two clips (upper and lower) in contact with them (thus establishing electrical contact). To allow for fuse replacement when necessary, the fuse is mounted on a guide piece to which a positioning spring is attached. The configurations of the guide piece and the positioning spring allow the fuse to be gripped for easy and safe insertion and removal from the housing. When the guide piece is in its final position within the assembly, the fuse is held in its corresponding position between the aforementioned clips, which are in contact with its flat bases (upper and lower).

[0028] Furthermore, since the fuse holder assemblies are installed around busbars in the corresponding electrical panels, the assembly comprises a claw that is removably attached to the housing. Preferably, the claw comprises one end rotatably attached to the housing, which allows the claw to rotate around the corresponding busbar. The claw also comprises another end that is attached to the housing by means of a removable connecting element, to allow, once the assembly is in position with the claw arranged around the busbar, the connection of said end of the claw to the housing, thus securing the position.

[0030] Thus, the fuse holder assembly of the present invention acts as a fuse-disconnect switch, allowing load break while ensuring dielectric insulation in the open position and enabling the use of the fuse. As previously described, the fuse holder assembly is specifically designed to accommodate D02 or D03 type fuses.

[0032] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] To complete the description and to aid in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to this descriptive document as an integral part thereof, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0035] Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the fuse holder assembly in which part of the housing has been hidden and the elements inside can be seen.

[0037] Figure 2 represents an exploded view of the fuse holder assembly.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the fuse holder assembly.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a claw comprising, in its intermediate section, a spring.

[0043] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The present invention is not to be limited to the embodiment described herein. Other configurations may be realized by those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

[0047] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the fuse holder assembly, specifically designed to receive D02 or D03 type fuses. In this case, a portion of the housing (1) of the assembly has been obscured to allow for proper visualization of the components that make up the assembly.

[0049] The described fuse holder assembly comprises a housing (1) that contains a fuse (2). The housing (1) has a front face with at least one front opening and a rear face with at least one rear opening. It also comprises a claw (3) with a first end (4) rotatably attached to a point inside the housing (1) and a second end (5) attached to the housing (1) by means of a removable connecting element (6). The claw (3) is configured such that, when attached to the housing (1), a space remains between the rear face of the housing (1) and an intermediate section (7) of the claw (3) to accommodate a bar around which the fuse holder assembly is mounted. As a person skilled in the art would appreciate from this description, the fuse (2) is a removable and interchangeable part. Thus, the fuse (2) is not part of the invention as such and any fuse holder assembly, even if it does not house a fuse (2), would fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0051] Also forming part of the fuse holder assembly is a guided piece (8), which is a piece with at least one housing (9) to receive the fuse (2), and which is configured to be attached to the housing (2) in a removable manner, so that, when attached, part of the guided piece (8) is housed inside the housing (2), passing through the front opening.

[0053] The design of the guided part (8) is such that it allows the fuse (2) to rest on the clamps (12.1 and 12.2) by means of the flat surfaces of the fuse (2).

[0055] The guided part (8) also comprises a positioning spring (10) with two spring ends (11) arranged in correspondence with the housing (9) such that the fuse (2) housed in the housing (9) is disposed between said two ends of the positioning spring (11). Between the ends of the spring (11) and the fuse (2) there is some clearance to allow the placement of said fuse (2) in its position in the housing (9) and its exchange.

[0057] The assembly also includes an upper clamp (12.1) and a lower clamp (12.2) between which the fuse (2) is installed in the housing (1), as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This configuration allows the fuse to operate vertically. This represents a significant technical advantage over the current installation method, in which these types of fuses are placed in the circuit using horizontal connections, requiring the use of additional connections, screws, etc. In this respect, the clamps (12.1, 12.2) are free of rivets, screws, and splices. The major technical advantages are improved energy efficiency, reduced risks to the operator and the system during installation/maintenance operations, and reduced damage to splices.

[0059] In Figure 2, the fuse holder assembly has been represented in an exploded view so that the configuration of each of the elements that make up it can be better observed.

[0061] In one embodiment, the fuse holder assembly also comprises a tightening indicator piece (13) that is at least partially housed in the housing (1) and is movable between a first position in which it is concealed and a second position, when the second end (5) of the claw (3) is attached to the housing (1), in which it is visible. In one embodiment, in the first position the tightening indicator piece (13) is concealed in the housing (1), and in the second position, the tightening indicator piece (13) protrudes from the housing (1).

[0063] In one possible embodiment, when the fuse holder assembly is installed on the corresponding bar, placing the second end (5) of the claw (3) into position makes contact with the tightening indicator piece (13), forcing it to move until it protrudes from the housing (1). This allows the operator to confirm that the claw (3) is correctly positioned and that the assembly has been properly installed using the connecting element (6). When the claw (3) is released to remove the fuse holder assembly from the bar (by removing the second end (5) of the claw (3) from the housing (1)), the tightening indicator piece (13) returns to its initial position, where it is concealed.

[0065] To facilitate the mounting of the fuse holder assembly on the corresponding bar, in one embodiment of the invention, the claw (3) comprises a projection (14) configured to allow the temporary locking (while the operator performs other tasks or handles tools) of the assembly on the bar around which it is to be installed. Thus, the operator can leave the assembly "hanging" on the bar, locking the projection (14) of the claw (3) in the housing (1) around the bar (1), so that the assembly is temporarily supported during assembly, freeing the operator's hands.

[0067] Figure 3 shows the fuse holder assembly in a perspective view. The complete housing (1), which conceals and protects most of the assembly's components, is visible. Part of the guided piece (8) and the claw (3) are also visible. In the space between the housing (1) and the intermediate section (7) of the claw (3), part of the lower clamp (12.2) is visible. This clamp extends from a lower end, which is in contact with the lower base of the fuse (2), to an upper end. As can be seen, this lower clamp (12.2) is partially exposed and is the element that makes contact with the corresponding bar when the fuse holder assembly is installed, ensuring electrical contact between the fuse (2) and the bar.

[0069] In one embodiment, shown in Figure 4, the claw (3) comprises, in the intermediate section (7), a spring element (17) configured to contact the bar. This embodiment allows the assembly to be installed on bars of different cross-sections without having to change the claw (3) for such installation. In a preferred embodiment, the claw (3) allows installation on bars with widths between 4 mm and 6 mm.

[0071] Preferably, the guided part (8) has at least one first guide element (15) and the housing (1) has at least one second guide element (16) inside. When the guided part (8) is inserted through the front opening of the housing (1), these guide elements (15, 16) come into contact and ensure the correct positioning of the guided part (8), and therefore of the fuse (2) in the housing (1).

[0073] In one possible embodiment of the invention, the positioning spring (10) further comprises, at one end of the spring (11), a tab that prevents the fuse (2) from dislodging from its position during operation (i.e., prevents the fuse from being unintentionally detached from the assembly). It is thus observed that the clamps (12.1, 12.2) are configured to allow contact with the fuse (2), and, furthermore, the upper clamp (12.1) accommodates the tab of the positioning spring (10).

[0074] The distance between the first clamp (12.1) and the second clamp (12.2) and the housing (9) are configured to receive a fuse (2) of type D02 or type D03.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS 1. - Fuse holder assembly comprising a housing (1) inside which a fuse (2) is housed and comprising a front face with at least one front opening and a rear face with at least one rear opening and is characterized in that it comprises: - a claw (3) comprising a first end (4), rotatably attached to a point inside the housing (1), and a second end (5) intended to be attached to the housing (1) by means of a removable connecting element (6); and wherein the claw (3) has a configuration such that, when attached to the housing (1), there is a free space between the rear face of the housing (1) and an intermediate section (7) of the claw (3) intended to accommodate a bar around which the fuse holder assembly is installed; - a guided piece (8), which is a piece with at least one housing (9) for receiving the fuse (2), and which is configured to be removably attached to the housing (2), such that, when attached, part of the guided piece (8) is housed inside the housing (2), passing through the front opening, and said guided piece (8) comprises a positioning spring (10), attached to the guided piece (8) and with two ends of the spring (11) arranged in correspondence with the housing (9) such that the fuse housed in the housing (9) is housed between said two ends of the positioning spring (10); - an upper clamp (12.1) and a lower clamp (12.2) between which the fuse (2) is installed in the housing (1). 2. - Fuse holder assembly according to claim 1 comprising a tightening indicator piece (13) that is at least partially housed in the housing (1) and that is movable between a first position in which it is hidden and a second position, when the second end (5) of the claw (3) is attached to the housing (1), in which it is visible. 3. - Fuse holder assembly according to claim 2 wherein, in the first position, the tightening indicator piece (13) is fully housed in the housing (1) and, in the second position, the tightening indicator piece (13) protrudes from the housing (1). 4. - Fuse holder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the claw (3) comprises a projection (14) configured to allow the assembly to rest on the bar around which the assembly is to be installed. 5. - Fuse holder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the claw (3) comprises, in the intermediate section (7), a spring piece (17) configured to be in contact with the bar. 6. - Fuse holder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the guided part (10) has at least a first guide element (15) and the housing (1) has, inside, at least a second guide element (16) such that, when the guided part (10) is inserted through the front opening of the housing (1), said guide elements (15, 16) come into contact and ensure the correct positioning of the guided part (10), and therefore of the positioning spring (10) and the fuse (2) in the housing (1). 7. - Fuse holder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the positioning spring (10) further comprises, at one end of the spring (11), a tab. 8. - Fuse holder assembly according to claim 6 wherein the upper clamp (12.1) comprises a recess intended to receive the positioning spring tab (10). 9. - Fuse holder assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the distance between the first clamp (12.1) and the second clamp (12.2) and the housing (9) are configured to receive a fuse (2) of type D02 or type D03.