Electric fuse and protective circuit

• US 5,659,284 A
• Filed: 02/23/1995
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Olofsson, Lars-Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): DONOVAN, LINCOLN D
• Application Number:
  US08/392,490
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 337/290, 337/297, 337/255, 337/415, 29/623
• US Class Current: 337/290
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/046 Fuses formed as printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/048 Fuse resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0293 Individual printed conductors which are adapted for modification, e.g. fusable or breakable conductors, printed switches
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/167 incorporating printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0305 Solder used for other purposes than connections between PCB or components, e.g. for filling vias or for programmable patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09909 Special local insulating pattern, e.g. as dam around component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10181 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/28 Applying non-metallic protective coatings H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673

Abstract

An electric protective circuit includes an electric fuse and an electric resistance loop connected in series with the fuse, the fuse and loop being mounted on a substrate. The fuse includes a solder that is connected as a resistance in a current series circuit between connection terminals and that melts at elevated temperatures caused by heating of the substrate. The solder is surrounded by a material that protects the solder against oxidation by the surrounding air and completely covers the solder, enabling the solder to contract onto the connecting terminals when it melts and break the current path. The material is temperature-stable in a solid state of normal fuse operating temperatures and includes one or a combination of waxes, resins, thermoplastics, and synthetic fluxes. The material is applied in a region or area surrounding the solder that is delimited by barrier walls that prevent the material from running away from the region. The resistance loop includes current-conducting paths that are mutually connected with bridging elements whose electrical resistance is much lower than the electrical resistance of the current-conducting paths. The resistance loop includes trimming elements for adjusting the resistance of the resistance loop.

Claims

1. An electric protective circuit, comprising:

an electric fuse mounted on a substrate, the fuse including a solder that is connected as a resistance in a current series circuit between connection terminals and that will melt at elevated temperatures caused by heating of the substrate;

an electric resistance loop connected in series with the fuse and mounted on the substrate, the resistance loop including current-conducting paths mutually connected with bridging elements, and trimming elements for adjusting a resistance of the resistance loop, an electrical resistance of the bridging elements being much lower than an electrical resistance of the current-conducting paths;

a material applied in a region surrounding the solder, wherein the material surrounds and completely covers the solder and protects the solder against oxidation by surrounding air both at room temperature and at an elevated temperature, thereby enabling the solder to contract onto the connection terminals when it melts and break a current path;

the material is temperature-stable in a solid state at normal fuse operating temperatures and comprises at least one substance taken from a group comprising waxes, resins, thermoplastics, and synthetic fluxes; and

the region surrounding the solder is delimited by barrier walls that prevent the material from running away from the region.

2. The protective circuit of claim 1, wherein the material surrounding the solder is a thermoplastic material with a base of ethylene vinyl acetate.

3. The protective circuit of claim 1, in which the resistance loop and the fuse are duplicated and resistive values of the duplicated resistance loops are adjusted by the trimming elements so that the resistance values are substantially the same.

4. The protective circuit of claim 1, wherein the applied material surrounding the solder has a weak flux enabling breakdown of any oxide that is formed on the solder at room temperature.

5. The protective circuit of claim 1, wherein when the substrate temperature becomes hot enough to melt the solder, the solder will contract and form spheres on the connection terminals thereby breaking the current path.