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US 7,385,473 B2Granted
One-shot heat sensing electrical receptacle
AssigneeBSafe Electrix, Inc.
InventorsSteven D. Fabian, Douglas Watchorn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical receptacle senses its operating temperature and automatically turns off when the temperature rises above a predetermined threshold. The receptacle has a button that visually indicates when the receptacle has reached its temperature threshold. After automatically turning off, the receptacle remains permanently non-conducting.
Claims6
An electrical receptacle, comprising:
- a line terminal having a first contact and a bimetallic dish,
- a feed terminal having a second contact, and
- an overload button assembly having
- (a) a columnar housing with
- (i) a top surface having a hole,
- (ii) an extension portion located on one side of the columnar housing, the extension Portion having an arm at its distal end, and
- (iii) a cavity extending the full height of the columnar housing and terminating on the top surface at the hole,
- (b) a cylindrical button having a top surface for protruding through the hole in the columnar housing, and a body located in an upper portion of the cavity in the columnar housing, and
- (c) a spring located in a lower portion of the cavity in the columnar housing,
- wherein,
- in a normal reset state, the bimetallic dish bends inward so that the first and second contacts touch and the overload button assembly is in an untripped postion, and
- in a tripped state, the bimetallic dish bends outward enabling the spring to push the arm of the overload button assembly between the first and second contacts so that the overload button assembly moves to a tripped position wherein the columnar housing is unaffected by movement of the cylindrical button, thereby permanently preventing the first contact from touching the second contact.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.