Contact structure
AssigneeTyco Electronics Japan G.K.
InventorsArata Tanaka, Katsuaki Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a means in which contact between contacts in a “double-break (or double-make) contact structure” occurs in two places in the same state as much as possible. A contact structure includes two fixed members (110,112) each of which has a fixed contact (116,118) and a movable member (102) containing a movable contact (106) which contacts or separates from the fixed contact of each of the fixed members. The movable member is in the form of a strip as a whole, its one end is supported so as to allow the above mentioned contact and separation of the movable member, and the other end of the movable member has the movable contact, and the movable member has a narrowed section between its two ends.
Claims6
A circuit protection device which comprises a contact structure, said contact structure comprising two fixed members each of which has a fixed contact, and a movable member comprising a movable contact which contacts or separates from the fixed contact each fixed member, which structure is characterized in that:
- the movable member is in the form of a strip as a whole having edges along a length and a width between the edges, its one end is supported so as to allow said contacting and separating of the movable member, and the other end of the movable member has the movable contact,
- the movable member has a narrowed section between its two ends, said narrowed section having a width that is 0.3 to 0.6 times a width of the movable member and is formed such that the width of the movable member recedes by the same distance from the edges, and
- the circuit protection device comprises a circuit switching member comprising a bimetal component as a circuit switching element and a movable terminal having the movable contact, and a PTC component.
An electrical apparatus which comprises a circuit protection device, said circuit protection device comprising a contact structure, said contact structure comprising two fixed members each of which has a fixed contact, and a movable member comprising a movable contact which contacts or separates from the fixed contact each fixed member, which structure is characterized in that
- the movable member is in the form of a strip as a whole having edges along a length and a width between the edges, its one end is supported so as to allow said contacting and separating of the movable member, and the other end of the movable member has the movable contact, and
- the movable member has a narrowed section between its two ends, said narrowed section having a width that is 0.3 to 0.6 times a width of the movable member and is formed such that the width of the movable member recedes by the same distance from the edges,
- wherein the circuit protection device comprises a circuit switching member comprising a bimetal component as a circuit switching element and a movable terminal having the movable contact, and a PTC component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.