Overheat protection device for movable body surface, overheat protection apparatus using the same and temperarture control device

• US 20050140491A1
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Kazuyoshi, Uehara, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 337/401
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/761 with a fusible element forming part of the switched circuit H01H37/767 takes precedence

Abstract

An overheat protection device for a movable body surface includes a thermal fuse having a fuse element which melts at a predetermined temperature, bridges electrodes in a pair and melts at a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature to break an electrical connection between the pair of electrodes, and a pair of long elastic bodies, to each of which one of the electrodes is electrically connected at an end or its periphery of the elastic body through a lead. At least one of pairs of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the elastic bodies are spatially on a same plane.

Claims

1. An overheat protection device for a movable body surface, the device comprising:

a thermal fuse comprising a fuse element which melts at a predetermined temperature, the fuse element bridging electrodes in a pair and melting at a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature to break an electrical connection between the pair of electrodes; and

a pair of long elastic bodies, to each of which one of the electrodes is electrically connected at an end or its periphery of the elastic body through a lead, at least one of pairs of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the elastic bodies being spatially on a same plane.

2. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 1, wherein the pair of electrodes of the thermal fuse is provided on a surface of an insulating substrate.

3. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 2, wherein a surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the surface where the pair of electrodes are provided is pressed into contact with a surface of a movable body as a contact surface by utilizing a deflection reaction force of the pair of elastic bodies.

4. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 3, wherein the movable body is a rotary heating body, and the contact surface of the insulating substrate is pressed into contact with one of an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the rotary heating body.

5. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 3, wherein the contact surface of the insulating substrate is covered with a thin film.

6. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 5, wherein the thin film is one of a fluororesin film and a polyimide film.

7. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 4, wherein two straight lines connecting both ends of the contact surface of the insulating substrate being in contact with the rotary heating body with a central point of the rotary heating body forms an angle equal to or less than 10°

.

8. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 1, wherein the fuse element is inserted in an insulating cylindrical body, the pair of electrodes electrically bridged by the fuse element are provided at both ends of the insulating cylindrical body and integrated with leads, both ends of the insulating cylindrical body integrated with the leads are sealed with an insulating seal material, and the leads, in pair, project outward from the both ends of the insulating cylindrical body.

9. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 8, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the insulating cylindrical body is pressed into contact with a surface of the movable body by utilizing the deflection reactive force of the pair of elastic bodies.

10. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 9, wherein the movable body is a rotary heating body, and the outer peripheral surface of the insulating cylindrical body is pressed into contact with one of the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the insulating cylindrical body.

11. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 10, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the insulating cylindrical body is coated with a thin film.

12. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 11, wherein the thin film is one of a fluororesin film and a polyimide film.

13. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 10, wherein two straight lines connecting both ends of the contact surface of the insulating substrate being in contact with the rotary heating body with a central point of the rotary heating body forms an angle equal to or less than 10°

.

14. The overheat protection device for a movable body surface according to claim 1, wherein the pair of long elastic bodies are metal spring plates.

15. An overheat protection apparatus provided in a power circuit in a heating apparatus on a movable body surface, the overheat protection apparatus comprising:

an overheat protection device comprising;

a thermal fuse, a part of which is pressed into contact with the surface of the movable body, comprising a fuse element which melts at a predetermined temperature, the fuse element bridging electrodes in a pair and melting at a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature to break an electrical connection between the pair of electrodes, thereby causing a break in the power circuit; and

a pair of long elastic bodies, to ends or their periphery of which the respective electrodes are electrically connected through leads, at least one of pairs of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the elastic bodies being spatially on a same plane.

16. The overheat protection apparatus according to claim 15, wherein an electric circuit where the overheating prevention device is wired constructs an independent break control circuit having a different power system from that of the power circuit in the heating apparatus.

17. The overheat protection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when the fuse element in the overheating prevention device melts and the electrical connection between the pair of electrodes is broken, a relay device included in the break control circuit is actuated to cause a break in the power circuit.

18. The overheat protection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein an electric current flowing through the break control circuit is smaller than an electric current flowing through the power circuit.

19. The overheat protection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein electric power supplied to the break control circuit is smaller than electric power supplied to the power circuit.

20. The overheat protection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein in the break control circuit, a correction resistor is connected in series with the overheating prevention device.

21. A temperature control device for a movable body surface, the device comprising:

an overheat protection device comprising;

a thermal fuse comprising a fuse element which melts at a predetermined temperature, the fuse element bridging electrodes in a pair and melting at a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature to break an electrical connection between the pair of electrodes; and

a pair of long elastic bodies, to each of which one of the electrodes is electrically connected at an end or its periphery of the elastic body through a lead, at least one of pairs of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the elastic bodies being spatially on a same plane;

a temperature detection device comprising;

a pair of long elastic bodies, at least one of pairs of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the elastic bodies being spatially on a same plane; and

a temperature sensor electrically bridging portions around ends of the pair of elastic bodies on one side; and

a holding member holding the overheat protection device and the temperature detection device,

wherein a side of the pair of elastic bodies in the overheat protection device not connected with the thermal fuse and a side of the pair of elastic bodies in the temperature detection device not connected with the temperature sensor are fixed to the holding member and the both devices are integrated, such that the pair of plate elastic bodies in the overheating prevention device and the pair of plate elastic bodies in the temperature detection device are in parallel to each other and at least one of pairs of upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the elastic bodies of both devices are spatially on a same plane, and such that the thermal fuse in the overheat protection device and the temperature sensor in the temperature detection device are in positions away from the holding member by approximately equal distances.

22. The temperature control device according to claim 21, wherein the elastic body of the overheat protection device and the elastic body of the temperature detection device adjacent to each other are integrated as one common elastic body.