Thermal overload protection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9083174-B2
Application number	US-201113814483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2011
Priority date	Aug 6, 2010
Publication date	Jul 14, 2015
Grant date	Jul 14, 2015

Abstract

The object of the invention is a thermal overload protection device ( 22 ) for protecting an electric component ( 10 ), in particular an electronic component, wherein the overload protection device ( 22 ) has a short-circuit unit ( 24 ) for short-circuiting connections ( 12, 14 ) of the component ( 10 ), and an actuating member ( 26 ) actuating the short-circuit unit ( 24 ) in a temperature sensitive manner. According to the invention it is provided that the short-circuit unit ( 24 ) is attached to a circuit path support ( 16 ) in at least one area ( 28 ), and is supported in at least another area ( 30 ) on the component ( 10 ) disposed on the circuit path support ( 16 ) via the actuating unit ( 26 ), and/or at least one of the circuit paths ( 18, 20 ) contacting one of the connections ( 12, 14 ) to be short-circuited.
The invention further relates to a respective arrangement ( 36 ) having a circuit path support ( 16 ), at least one component ( 10 ) disposed thereupon, and at least one assigned overload protection device ( 22 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal overload protection device for protecting an electric component mounted on a circuit path support, the thermal overload protection device comprising:
a short-circuit unit for short-circuiting connections of the electric component, the electric component being connected to assigned circuit paths of the circuit path support by solder joints; and
a temperature sensitive actuating unit actuating the short-circuit unit,
wherein the short-circuit unit is attached to the circuit path support in at least one area, and is supported in at least a further area via the temperature sensitive actuating unit at the electric component, and/or at least on one of the circuit paths contacting the connections to be short-circuited.

2. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensitive actuating unit comprises a melting member to be actuated by means of melting.

3. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit unit electrically contacts circuit paths connected to the connections for short-circuiting the connections.

4. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit unit has a spring member, or is a spring member.

5. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit unit comprises at least one material chosen from the group consisting of a shape memory material, an intumescent material, and a material chemically changing its shape as actuator.

6. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the short-circuit unit is supported at the further area via the temperature sensitive actuating unit on the electric component in an elastic manner.

7. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensitive actuating unit comprises a material having an actuating temperature lower than a melting temperature of a solder joint between the circuit paths and the connections of the electric component to be short-circuited.

8. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the short circuit unit is permanently electrically coupled to at least one of the connections to be short-circuited.

9. The overload protection device of claim 1 , wherein the short circuit unit has two parts contacting each other by means of the actuation of the temperature sensitive actuating unit for short-circuiting.

Assignees

• Meyer Thomas
• Pförtner Steffen
• Brand Friedrich-Eckhard
• Pötzsch Bernd
• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Meyer Thomas
• Pförtner Steffen
• Brand Friedrich-Eckhard
• Pötzsch Bernd

Classifications

• H01H1/20

  Bridging contacts {(for circuit breakers H01H73/045)} · CPC title

• H01H2037/046

  being soldered on the printed circuit to be protected · CPC title

• H01H37/767 Primary

  Normally open · CPC title

• H01H1/2075

  T-shaped bridge; bridging contact has lateral arm for mounting resiliently or on a pivot · CPC title

• H02H5/04 Primary

  responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)} · CPC title