Failsafe bimetallic reed having bimetal with fusible link for a circuit protector
AssigneeCooper Industries, Inc.
InventorsJacek Korczynski, Lawrence R. Happ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bimetallic reed for a circuit protecting device includes an integral fusible portion as a failsafe interrupting mechanism. The bimetallic reed includes a body of electrical conductive materials and having a first end mountable to a terminal and a second end forming an interruptible contact portion. The body is shaped to deform at a central portion of the body when the body is heated to a predetermined temperature. The body includes a plurality of apertures adjacent to the contact portion defining a plurality of electrical conductive pathways connecting the central portion and the contact portion, wherein the plurality of conductive pathways is fusibly responsive to a predetermine electrical load condition to form a fusible link.
Claims21
A bimetallic reed for a circuit protecting device, comprising a body of electrical conductive materials and having a first end mountable to a terminal and a second end forming an interruptible contact portion, the body having a normal shape deformable at least at a central portion of the body when the body is heated to a predetermined temperature, the body including a fusible link of reduced cross sectional area connecting the central portion and the contact portion, said fusible link being fusibly responsive to a predetermined electrical load condition.
A circuit protecting device, comprising:
- a base having a top side and a bottom side;
- a first terminal stud mounted in the base and extending from the top side and the bottom side;
- a second terminal stud mourned in the base and extending from the top side and the bottom side and spaced from the first terminal stud;
- a bimetallic reed having a first end portion and a second end portion, the bimetallic reed being deformable in a central portion responsive to a predetermined temperature, and being disposed on the first side of the base, the first end portion being fixed to the first terminal stud, the bimetallic reed having a normal position in which the second end portion is in contact with the second terminal stud, and having a plurality of apertures adjacent to the second end portion forming a fusible link;
- and,
- a cover defining an enclosure with the first side of the base to enclose the bimetallic reed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.