Hermetic single phase motor protector

• US 20020158746A1
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensata Technologies Massachusetts Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Maus, Gary K., Lamborghini, Louis R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,674,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 337/365
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/004 with thermal image
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/54 wherein the bimetallic element is inherently snap acting
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/5436 mounted on controlled apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 61/02 wherein the thermally-sensitive member is heated indirectly, e.g. resistively, inductively
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 81/02 electrothermally operated

Abstract

A hermetic motor protector (10) has a non-current carrying snap-acting thermostatic disc (26) freely disposed on a disc seat (22a) having a tab (22c) projecting through a centrally located aperture (26a) in the disc. An outer peripheral portion of the disc is received under a leg (22e) of the bracket limiting upward motion of the disc at that location and causing the disc to act as a lever pivoting about the disc seat (22a) as a fulcrum so that the outer peripheral portion of the disc diametrically opposite to leg (22e) engages a motion transfer bump (28d) formed on a movable contact arm cantilever mounted on leg (22e) when the disc snaps from its normally contacts engaged configuration to its opposite dished contacts open configuration when the disc is heated to its actuation temperature by a heater element (24) along with heat conducted from a motor with which the protector is used.

Claims

1. A motor protector comprising

an electrically conductive base plate having a mounting surface,

an electrically conductive bracket mounted on the mounting surface, the bracket having a first leg spaced from and extending transversely across a portion of the mounting surface, the bracket having a generally U-shaped portion forming a disc seating bight extending away from the mounting surface to position the disc seating bight at a location spaced from the mounting surface, a tab extending from the bight in a direction generally vertically away from the mounting surface,

a snap-acting thermostatic disc movable between opposite concave, convex dished configurations upon being heated to an actuation temperature, the disc having a centrally disposed aperture therethrough, the disc disposed on the disc seating bight with the tab received through the disc aperture and with the dished shaped configuration facing the mounting surface being concave,

an electrically conductive movable contact arm cantilever mounted on the first leg and extending across the disc, the movable contact arm having a free distal end portion, a movable contact mounted on the free distal end portion,

a terminal pin extending through an aperture in the base plate and electrically separated therefrom, a stationary contact mounted on the terminal pin with the movable contact arm normally biasing the movable contact into contact engagement with the stationary contact,

another terminal pin extending through an aperture in the base plate and electrically separated therefrom, a heater element having a first end connected to the said another terminal pin and a second end connected to the base plate,

the disc having an outer peripheral portion received under the first leg limiting movement of the disc at the location of the first leg so that upon snapping to the opposite dished configuration the disc pivots on the disc seating bight with the outer peripheral portion of the disc diametrically opposite to the first leg engaging the movable contact arm to move the movable contact arm to a contacts disengaged position.

2. A motor protector according to claim 1 in which an aperture is formed through the movable contact arm and the tab extending from the disc seating bight is received through the aperture in the movable contact arm.

3. A motor protector according to claim 1 further comprising a dome shaped cover received over the mounting surface and being hermetically attached to the conductive base plate.

4. A motor protector according to claim 3 in which the cover has a deformed portion and the movable contact has a path of movement, the deformed portion of the cover serving as a motion limiting stop, the deformed portion disposed in alignment with the path of movement of the movable contact and spaced a selected distance above the stationary contact.

5. A motor protector comprising an electrically conductive base plate having a mounting surface and formed with terminal receiving apertures therethrough, first and second terminal pins extending through respective terminal receiving apertures in spaced apart relation to the base plate, a stationary contact mounted on the first terminal pin, a bracket, the bracket mounted on the base plate, a movable contact and a movable contact arm, the movable contact mounted on the movable contact arm and the movable contact arm mounted on the bracket and electrically connected to the base plate, the movable contact being movable into and out of contacts engaged positions with the stationary contact and normally biased into the contact engaged position, a heater element having two opposite ends, one end connected to the second terminal pin and the second end connected to the base plate so that the base plate forms at least part of a current path between the heater element and the movable contact arm and a non-current carrying thermostatic member mounted on the base plate and movable between a first non-actuated position and a second actuated position, the thermostatic member disposed in heat transfer relation with the heater element, the thermostatic member applying a force to the movable contact arm when in the second actuated position to move the movable contact into the contacts disengaged position.

6. A motor protector according to claim 5 in which the thermostatic member is mounted on the base plate through the bracket.

7. A motor protector according to claim 6 in which the thermostatic member is a bimetallic, snap acting disc movable between oppositely dished configurations.

8. A motor protector according to claim 7 in which the disc is generally circular having a centrally disposed aperture therethrough and further comprising a disc seat surface formed on the bracket with an upstanding tab received through the centrally disposed aperture, the disc having an outer periphery with a portion thereof received under a motion limiting surface a selected distance when the disc is in one of its dished configurations so that actuation of the disc to the opposite dished configuration causes the said portion of the outer periphery to engage the motion limiting surface resulting in the disc pivoting on the disc seat surface as a fulcrum with the diametrically opposite outer periphery of the disc applying amplified contacts disengagement motion.

9. A motor protector comprising

an electrically conductive base plate having a mounting surface,

an electrically conductive bracket mounted on the mounting surface,

a disc support for supporting the outer periphery of a disc, the disc support having a fulcrum,

a snap-acting thermostatic disc movable between opposite concave, convex dished configurations upon being heated to an actuation temperature disposed on the disc support with the fulcrum located beneath the disc and with the normally concave dished shaped configuration facing the base plate,

an electrically conductive movable contact arm cantilever mounted on the bracket and extending across the disc, the movable contact arm having a free distal end portion, a movable contact mounted on the free distal end portion,

a terminal pin extending through an aperture in the base plate and electrically separated therefrom, a stationary contact mounted on the terminal pin with the movable contact arm normally biasing the movable contact into contact engagement with the stationary contact,

another terminal pin extending through an aperture in the base plate and electrically separated therefrom, a heater element having a first end connected to the said another terminal pin and a second end connected to the base plate and being in heat transfer relation with the disc,

a motion limiting stop, the disc having an outer peripheral portion received under the motion limiting stop limiting movement of the disc at the location of the motion limiting stop so that upon snapping to the opposite dished configuration the disc pivots on the fulcrum of the disc support with the outer peripheral portion of the disc diametrically opposite to the motion limiting stop engaging the movable contact arm to move the movable contact arm to a contacts disengaged position.