Thermal safety device
First Claim
1. A thermal safety device, which executes the disconnection of an electrical circuit by the melting of a fusible element, the thermal safety device comprising:
- at least two electrically conductive terminals;
a fusible element located in a gap between the at least two electrically conductive terminals creating an electrical circuit therebetween;
an encasement spanning the gap between the terminals,a coating located between the encasement and at least one of the terminals and being in direct contact with the at least one of the terminals on one side and with the encasement on the opposite side, the coating liquefying at a temperature in the range of a melting temperature of the fusible element; and
wherein the melting temperature of the coating is equal or higher than the melting temperature of the fusible element;
wherein the fusible element is completely encapsulated by at least the encasement, the coating and the terminals when the coating is in a solid state;
wherein when the coating is in the solid state, the coating blocks the melted fusible element such that the melted fusible element cannot flow out of the thermal safety device; and
wherein when the coating liquefies, a capillary is formed in a space previously occupied by the coating in the solid state which allows the melted fusible element to flow from the gap between the terminals and out from the thermal safety device to disconnect the electrical circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In order to provide a method for isolating a circuit and a thermal link, wherein the link has a very low resistance and is suitable for high currents, in particular very high short load currents, and also has a high degree of reliability, in particular under difficult conditions, such as thermal and mechanical loading which lasts for a relatively long time, for example, the invention proposes that, during the phase transition of the material of the fusible element (10) from the solid to the liquid state, the volume of the fusible element (10) increases and the pressure increases and, owing to the increase in volume and the increase in pressure, the fusible element (10) is dislodged so as to break the electrical connection.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A thermal safety device, which executes the disconnection of an electrical circuit by the melting of a fusible element, the thermal safety device comprising:
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at least two electrically conductive terminals; a fusible element located in a gap between the at least two electrically conductive terminals creating an electrical circuit therebetween; an encasement spanning the gap between the terminals, a coating located between the encasement and at least one of the terminals and being in direct contact with the at least one of the terminals on one side and with the encasement on the opposite side, the coating liquefying at a temperature in the range of a melting temperature of the fusible element; and wherein the melting temperature of the coating is equal or higher than the melting temperature of the fusible element; wherein the fusible element is completely encapsulated by at least the encasement, the coating and the terminals when the coating is in a solid state; wherein when the coating is in the solid state, the coating blocks the melted fusible element such that the melted fusible element cannot flow out of the thermal safety device; and wherein when the coating liquefies, a capillary is formed in a space previously occupied by the coating in the solid state which allows the melted fusible element to flow from the gap between the terminals and out from the thermal safety device to disconnect the electrical circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification