Importance

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Abstract

An indicating fuse assembly includes an electrically non-conductive housing; an array of first and second electrically conductive contacts supported by the housing, each pair of first and second contacts being adapted for connecting a replaceable fuse, the contacts being connected in a powered circuit wherein each fuse, when connected between a respective pair of the contacts, is electrically series-connected with a load of the circuit; and a plurality of illuminators electrically connected within the housing for displaying open circuit conditions of corresponding ones of the fuses when the contacts are connected in the powered circuit, electrical current in the illuminators being limited to a minor fraction of a rated current of the corresponding loads. At least some the illuminators can include bipolar pairs of light emitting diodes for activation of the respective illuminators without regard to polarity of the circuit. In a preferred configuration, the assembly also includes a detector driver circuit for sensing activation of any of the illuminators, the detector driver circuit being adapted for signalling an external circuit. The detector driver circuit can be configured for independently sensing a voltage across each fuse for driving the illuminators with current not flowing in the loads.

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First Claim