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US 5,844,464 AGranted
Thermal switch
AssigneeTherm-O-Disc, Incorporated
InventorsJames B. Kalapodis, Jerry L. Polles, William F. Quinn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeTherm-O-Disc, Incorporated
InventorsJames B. Kalapodis, Jerry L. Polles, William F. Quinn
Estimating the term…
A thermal switch assembly includes a dielectric spacer and a switch blade member of shape memory metal sandwiched between a pair of flat metal plates. The spacer provides a cavity between the plates, and the switch blade member has a switch blade portion projecting into the cavity. The switch blade member has a mounting portion engaging one of the metal plates, and the switch blade portion normally is under bending stress in engagement with the other metal plate to provide a current path between the plates. At elevated temperatures, the switch blade portion of shape memory metal moves out of engagement with the other metal plate to interrupt the current path. Fasteners integral with the dielectric spacer cooperate with the metal plates and the switch blade member to hold the switch assembly together with the spacer and the mounting portion of the switch blade member compressively sandwiched between the metal plates.
A thermal switch comprising a dielectric spacer sandwiched between a pair of substantially flat metal plates to define a cavity between said plates, a switch blade member having a mounting portion sandwiched between said dielectric spacer and one of said metal plates, said switch blade member having a switch blade portion extending into said cavity, said switch blade portion being of shape memory metal and having a normally closed position in engagement with the other of said metal plates to provide a current path between said metal plates, and said switch blade portion of shape memory metal responding to an elevated temperature by moving to an open position out of engagement with the other of said metal plates to interrupt the current path between said metal plates, and fasteners integral with said dielectric spacer and cooperating with said metal plates to hold said metal plates together with said spacer and said mounting portion of said switch blade member compressively sandwiched therebetween.
In a battery having a battery case and a battery terminal, a thermal switch assembly attached to one of said battery case and battery terminal externally of said battery case, said switch assembly including a dielectric spacer sandwiched between a pair of metal plates and defining a cavity therebetween, a switch blade member of shape memory metal having a mounting portion sandwiched between one of said metal plates and said spacer, said switch blade member having a switch blade portion extending into said cavity and being under bending stress in engagement with the other of said metal plates, said switch blade portion being movable out of engagement with said other of said metal plates in response to an elevated temperature, and fasteners integral with said dielectric spacer and cooperating with said metal plates to hold said metal plates together with said spacer and said mounting portion of said switch blade member compressively sandwiched therebetween.
A thermal switch assembly comprising a dielectric spacer and a switch blade member compressively sandwiched between a pair of metal plates, said spacer having a surface notch therein facing toward one of said metal plates and said switch blade member having a mounting portion received in said notch, and said notch having a depth that is not greater than the thickness of said mounting portion, and fasteners integral with said dielectric spacer and cooperating with said metal plates to hold said metal plates together with said spacer and said mounting portion of said switch blade member compressively sandwiched therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.