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US 4,399,423 AGranted
Miniature electric circuit protector
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorJoseph G. Nield
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AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorJoseph G. Nield
Estimating the term…
A miniature motor protector particularly suitable for low current applications has a generally rectangular parallelepiped configured metallic housing open at the top having a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly therefrom, the side walls having a flange forming a ledge portion at their free ends extending around all four sides with at least two opposed flanges have an extended portion to permit them to be bent to clampingly engage an element received on the ledge. An electrically insulative gasket is disposed on the ledge with a plate-like element having a selected electrical resistance placed on top of the gasket. The extended flange portions are bent over the gasket and plate-like element to clampingly engage them. The plate-like element is formed with a first switch element mounting portion, a second heater portion and a third support portion adapted to engage the ledge on all four sides. A second switch element is mounted on the bottom wall of the housing with one of the switch elements including a cantilever mounted snap-acting thermostatic member adapted to move into and out of engagement with the other of the switch elements upon selected thermal conditions of the thermostatic member.
A thermally responsive electrical circuit protector comprising an electrically and thermally conductive housing having a bottom wall and upstanding side walls with an open top, the side walls having free ends formed into a ledge portion, a generally flat plate like element disposed on the ledge portion with an electrically insulative gasket interposed therebetween to electrically separate the housing from the plate like element, means to clampingly attach the plate like element to the housing, heat responsive electrical switch means disposed in the housing adapted to connect and disconnect the housing and the plate like member upon the occurrence of selected thermal conditions and terminal means respectively attached to the housing and plate like member characterized in that the plate like element is formed with three integral portions, the first portion mounting a portion of the switch means, a second portion having a selected heater configuration and a third mounting portion adapted to be supported by the ledge portion of the housing.
A thermally responsive electrical circuit protector comprising an electrically conductive metallic housing generally shaped as a hollow parallelepiped with an open top, the housing having a bottom wall with four depending side walls terminating in free ends, the free ends formed into a ledge portion, a generally flat plate-like element disposed on the ledge portion with an electrically insulative gasket interposed therebetween to electrically separate the housing from the plate-like element, means to attach the plate-like element to the housing, heat responsive switch means disposed in the housing adapted to connect and disconnect the housing and the plate-like element upon the occurrence of selected thermal conditions, and terminal means respectively attached to the housing and plate-like element characterized in that the plate-like element is formed with a first portion mounting a portion of the switch means, a second portion having a selected heater configuration and a third mounting portion adapted to be supported by the ledge portion of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.