Modified reset motor protector

• US 7,326,887 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensata Technologies Massachusetts Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensata Technologies Incorporated (Sensata Technologies Holding Plc)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Steven K., Cohen, Jonathan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCHALL, MARK H
• Application Number:
  US11/610,117
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 219/504, 219/505, 219/481, 219/507, 219/508, 219/501, 219/494, 219/497, 307/117
• US Class Current: 219/505
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2037/5463 the bimetallic snap element forming part of switched circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/5418 using cantilevered bimetallic snap elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/5436 mounted on controlled apparatus

Abstract

A self-hold motor protector (10) has an open metallic housing (12) in which a thermostatic disc (14) carrying a movable electrical contact (18) is cantilever mounted. A heater seat plate (20) is mounted in the housing in electrical and thermal relationship therewith. The heater seat plate has a seating recess (20a) in which a positive temperature coefficient resistor heating element (22) is received with one contact surface in electrical and thermal engagement with the heater seat plate. A terminal plate (26) mounts a stationary electrical contact (28) and is received over the opening of the housing but electrically isolated therefrom by a gasket (24). An electrically conductive spring (30) extends between the terminal plate and a second contact surface of the heating element.

Claims

1. An automotive motor protector particularly for underhood placement adapted to provide a modified reset operation upon actuation comprising:

a metallic housing having a bottom wall and side walls extending from the bottom wall to form a switching chamber, the walls extending to a selected location spaced from the bottom wall and extending generally laterally outwardly to form a first support lip around an opening to the chamber,

a thermostatic, current carrying, disc having first and second end portions cantilever mounted at one end portion on the bottom wall within the switching chamber, a movable contact mounted on the disc adjacent to the second end portion and movable between first and second positions,

a metal heater seat plate received on the first support lip, the heater seat plate being deformed to form a recess defined by a second bottom wall and side walls extending from the second bottom wall, the side walls extending a selected distance from the bottom wall and at the selected distance bent generally laterally outwardly to form a second support lip received on the first support lip, the heater seat plate formed with an opening aligned with the second end portion of the disc,

a positive temperature coefficient resistor element having spaced apart first and second contact layers on opposed sides thereof and being disposed in the recess with one contact layer engaging the bottom wall of the recess,

an electrically insulative sheet disposed on the second support lip, the insulative sheet having selected apertures therethrough,

a terminal plate having a face surface mounting a stationary electrical contact and a metallic spring spaced apart from the stationary contact, the terminal plate received on the insulative sheet and overlying the first and second support lips, the stationary electrical contact and the spring being placed in respective alignment with the movable electrical contact and the positive temperature coefficient resistor element, the spring engaging the other contact layer of the positive temperature resistor element,

the side walls of the housing being formed with first and second extensions extending from the first support lip and are bent over to clampingly engage the terminal plate through the insulative sheet with the spring making electrical engagement with the other contact layer of the positive temperature coefficient resistor element as well as biasing the positive temperature coefficient resistor element against the second bottom wall of the recess, the movable electrical contact being movable into and out of engagement with the stationary electrical contact, and

first and second terminal portions are formed on and extend respectively from the housing and the terminal plate.

2. An automotive motor protector according to claim 1 in which the side walls of the heater seat plate recess are tilted to extend from the bottom wall slightly away from the interior of the recess greater than one degree.

3. An automotive motor protector according to claim 1 in which the heater seat plate has first and second opposed face surfaces forming opposed generally concave and convex surfaces defining the recess and the thermostatic disc is formed with an extension at the first end portion that is bent back over itself and having a portion that engages the heater seat plate on the convex surface.

4. An automotive motor protector according to claim 1 in which the thermostatic disc is attached to the housing a welding slug and an elongated strip of heat conductive material extends from the second bottom wall into thermal and electrical engagement with the said welding slug attached to the thermostatic disc.

5. An automotive motor protector according to claim 1 in which the positive temperature coefficient resistor comprises an electrically conductive, partially cross linked fluoropolymer from the group consisting of ECFTE, ETFE and PCTFE material systems.

6. An automotive motor protector according to claim 1 in which the positive temperature coefficient resistor comprises barium titanate doped with a rare earth.

7. A modified reset automotive motor protector for underhood placement comprising:

an electrically conductive metallic housing having a bottom wall an housing having a bottom wall and side walls extending from the bottom wall to form a switching chamber having an opening, the side walls extending from the bottom wall to form a switching chamber having an opening, the side walls having a distal free end formed with a laterally extending first support lip formed around the opening of the switching chamber,

a thermostatic, current carrying snap-acting disc having first and second end portions, the disc cantilever mounted at the first end portion to the bottom wall of the housing, a movable electrical contact mounted at the second end portion of the disc,

an electrically conductive metal heater seat plate formed with a recesses portion defined by a second bottom wall and a side wall extending from the bottom wall, a laterally extending second support lip formed about the periphery of the heater seat plate, the second support lip matching the configuration of the first support lip and being received thereon in heat and electrical conduction relation therewith, the recessed portion forming a concave heater seat surface and a convex outer surface, the convex outer surface facing the disc,

an electrically conductive metal terminal plate having a face surface mounting a stationary electrical contact on the face surface received on the second support lip and electrically isolated from the housing and the heater seat plate, the movable electrical contact adapted to move into and out of engagement with the stationary electrical contact,

a positive temperature coefficient resistor heating element having first and second opposed contact surfaces received on the concave heater seat surface, and

an electrically conductive spring disposed between the terminal plate and the second contact surface of the heating element with the first contact surface in electrical engagement with the heater seat surface of the heater seat plate.

8. An automotive motor protector according to claim 7 further comprising an electrically conductive spring disposed between the heater seat plate and the weld slug of the thermostatic disc.

9. An automotive motor protector according to claim 7 which the side walls of the heater seat plate recess are tilted in a direction greater than approximately 1 degree from the interior of the recess.

10. An automotive motor protector according to claim 7 in which the heater seat plate has first and second opposed face surfaces forming opposed generally concave and convex surfaces defining the recess and the thermostatic disc is formed with an extension at the first end portion that is bent back over itself and having a portion that engages the heater seat plate on the convex surface.

11. An automotive motor protector according to claim 7 in which an elongated strip of heat conductive material extends from the second bottom wall into thermal engagement with the weld slug of the thermostatic disc.

12. An automotive motor protector according to claim 7 in which the positive temperature coefficient resistor heater element comprises an ECTFE polymer.

13. An automotive motor protector according to claim 7 further comprising alignment surfaces formed on the heater seat plate to permit self adjustment in assembly of the protector.