Electric component with fail safe element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11740280-B2
Application number	US-201816614848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An electric component with a fail safe element is disclosed. In an embodiment a component includes a functional element and a fail safe element electrically interconnected therewith, wherein the fail safe element is configured to ensure a minimum resistance or a minimum conductivity of the component in the event of a failure of the functional element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric component comprising:
a functional element; and
a fail safe element electrically interconnected therewith,
wherein the fail safe element is configured to ensure a minimum resistance or a minimum conductivity of the component in an event of a failure of the functional element,
wherein the fail safe element comprises a carrier for the functional element, and
wherein the carrier comprises a rod onto which the functional element and contacting facilities of the functional element are pushed such that the rod protrudes out of the functional element at opposite sides of the functional element.

2. The component according to claim 1 , wherein the functional element is a PTC thermistor or an NTC thermistor.

3. The component according to claim 1 , wherein the functional element is an inrush current limiter or a temperature sensor.

4. The component according to claim 1 , wherein the fail safe element is interconnected in parallel with the functional element.

5. The component according to claim 1 , wherein the fail safe element is an ohmic resistor.

6. The component according to claim 1 , wherein, in case of a parallel interconnection, a resistance of the fail safe element at 25° C. is at least double a magnitude of a resistance of the functional element and, in case of a series interconnection, a resistance of the fail safe element at 25° C. is at most half a magnitude of a resistance of the functional element.

7. The component according to claim 1 , wherein at −40° C. a resistance of the fail safe element is less than a resistance of the functional element.

8. The component according to claim 1 , wherein the fail safe element is additionally configured to indicate the failure of the functional element.

9. A component arrangement comprising:
at least two components according to claim 1 .

10. A method for detecting the failure of the functional element according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
measuring a total resistance of the component; and
indicating the failure when the total resistance corresponds to a calculated total resistance in case of the failure of the functional element.

11. An electric component comprising:
a functional element; and
a fail safe element electrically interconnected therewith,
wherein the fail safe element is configured to ensure a minimum resistance or a minimum conductivity of the component in an event of a failure of the functional element,
wherein the fail safe element comprises a housing for the functional element, and
wherein, in case of a parallel interconnection, a resistance of the fail safe element at 25° C. is at least double a magnitude of a resistance of the functional element and, in case of a series interconnection, a resistance of the fail safe element at 25° C. is at most half a magnitude of a resistance of the functional element.

12. The component according to claim 11 , wherein the functional element is a PTC thermistor or an NTC thermistor.

13. The component according to claim 11 , wherein the functional element is an inrush current limiter or a temperature sensor.

14. The component according to claim 11 , wherein the fail safe element is interconnected in parallel with the functional element.

15. The component according to claim 11 , wherein the fail safe element is an ohmic resistor.

16. The component according to claim 11 , wherein at −40° C. a resistance of the fail safe element is less than a resistance of the functional element.

17. The component according to claim 11 , wherein the fail safe element is additionally configured to indicate the failure of the functional element.

18. A component arrangement comprising:
at least two components according to claim 11 .

19. A method for detecting the failure of the functional element according to claim 11 , the method comprising:
measuring a total resistance of the component; and
indicating the failure when the total resistance corresponds to a calculated total resistance in case of the failure of the functional element.

20. An electric component comprising:
a functional element; and
a fail safe element electrically interconnected therewith,
wherein the fail safe element is configured to ensure a minimum resistance or a minimum conductivity of the component in an event of a failure of the functional element,
wherein the fail safe element comprises a housing for the functional element, and
wherein at −40° C. a resistance of the fail safe element is less than a resistance of the functional element.

Assignees

• Tdk Electronics Ag

Inventors

• Hofrichter Alfred
• Wischnat Volker
• Pichler Johann

Classifications

• G01R31/2829 Primary

  Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems (testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844) · CPC title

• G01R31/2827

  Testing of electronic protection circuits (testing switches G01R31/327; checking alarm systems G08B29/00; self test of summation current transformers H02H3/335) · CPC title

• H01C7/02

  having positive temperature coefficient · CPC title

• H01C7/04

  having negative temperature coefficient · CPC title

• H02H9/001

  limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off (progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16) · CPC title