Fuses & Fuse Accessories

Explaining Fuses

A fuse is an overcurrent protection device that interrupts the circuit by melting a wire. Decisive for this are the current intensity and the duration of exposure.

The parameters for a fuse are for example:

1. Voltage rating (AC or DC)
2. Current rating
3. Normal operating current
4. Ambient temperature/s
5. Overload conditions and opening times
6. Melting Integral (I2t)
7. Surge and Pulse current characteristics
8. Physical sizes and available board space
9. Standards requirements

Fuse Accessories

Many commonly available electronic fuses cannot be dropped into conductive paths due to their shape and size. Typically, a fuse accessory is required to integrate these fuses with a couple of primary functions: integrate fuses safely in electrical circuits, ensure a robust current path (voltage does not creep to other components) and provide a method to replace fuses once they manage overcurrent events as intended.

A few common components of fuse accessories can be defined as follows:

• Terminals are responsible for both accepting current from the circuit into the fuse accessory and delivering it back to the circuit.
• Contacts are responsible for engaging with the fuse to deliver current to and from the fuse, often in the form of a clip or an eyelet.
• Additional components can be found in various fuse holders, but they depend on the product type.