Fuse tube and method of manufacture thereof

Abstract

An arc-quenching composition is provided including a filler, a fiber and a binder. Preferably, the filler includes an arc-quenching compound such as melamine. The binder includes a thermosetting resin to facilitate forming of the arc-quenching composition into an arc-quenching fuse tube. In a preferred arrangement, an outer tube is formed over the arc-quenching fuse tube to provide an overall high-strength fuse tube. Also in a preferred arrangement, in order to provide a fuse tube that is capable of operation over an extremely wide current range, the inner arc-quenching tube includes a tapered bore. According to one fabrication technique, the outer tube is formed over the arc-quenching inner tube before the curing of the inner tube such that a single structure results.

1 . A fuse tube having a multiple layered laminate construction including an inner arc-quenching surface layer comprised of a filament wound fiber reinforced matrix comprising a thermosetting resin and melamine, and also including at least one outer layer of filament wound glass fiber reinforced thermosetting resin, said outer layer being bonded to said inner arc-quenching surface layer whereby no dielectric or mechanical interface is present between said inner and outer layers, said inner arc-quenching surface layer comprising at least 10% by weight melamine, at least 10% by weight of said filamentous fiber material and at least 40% by weight of said thermosetting resin.  
     
     
         2 . The fuse tube of  claim 1  wherein said thermosetting resin comprises bisphenol-A epoxy resin.  
     
     
         3  The fuse tube of  claim 2  wherein said filamentous fiber material is selected from the group of acrylic, polyester, nylon, rayon, cotton, cellulose and mixtures thereof.