Method of placing a thermal fuse on a panel

• Main Authors: CHEN JIANHUA, MATTHIESEN MARTYN A, VRANICAR ANTHONY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.05.2016
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SWITCHES; ELECTRICITY; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; RELAYS; SELECTORS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

A reflowable thermal fuse includes a positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) device that defines a first end and a second end, a conduction element that defines a first end and a second end in electrical communication with the second end of the PTC device, and a restraining element that defines a first end in electrical communication with the first end of the PTC device and a second end, in electrical communication with a second end of the conduction element. The restraining element is adapted to prevent the conduction element from coming out of electrical communication with the PTC device in an installation state of the thermal fuse. During a fault condition, heat applied to the thermal fuse diverts current flowing between the first end of the PTC device and the second end of the conduction element to the restraining element, causing the restraining element to release the conduction element and activate the fuse.