Thermal protector with bimetal plate
AssigneeUchiya Thermostat Co., Ltd.
InventorHideaki Takeda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal protector having a fixed plate with a fixed contact point at one end, a movable plate having a movable contact point at a position corresponding to the fixed contact point. A bimetal plate which bends when a temperature exceeds a specified level deforms movable plate so as separate the contacts. There are first and second terminals connecting the fixed and movable plates with an external circuit and a heating element connected to the first and second terminals to maintain an open-circuited state. The heating element is flexible and is arranged so as to be deformed following the deformation of the bimetal plate and to always physically contact always with the bimetal plate.
Claims7
A thermal protector comprising:
- a fixed plate having a fixed contact point at one end;
- a movable plate having a movable contact point at a position corresponding to the fixed contact point;
- a bimetal plate which bends when a temperature exceeds a specified level and deforms said movable plate so as to move said movable contact point to disconnect away from said fixed contact point;
- first and second terminals for connecting said fixed and movable plates with an external circuit;
- and
- a heating element connected to said first and second terminals,
- wherein said heating element is flexible and substantially flat and is arranged so as to follow the bending of the bimetal plate and to always physically contact a single surface of the bimetal plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.