Wickmann-werke Gmbh

Andreas Baus

André Jöllenbeck

Manfred Rupalla

Uwe Röder

Stephan Hell

Frank Althoff

Andr&eacute; J&ouml;llenbeck

Peter Pössnicker

Ludger Richter

Werner Barz

A fuse component includes an electrically insulating substrate having a top surface, a thick film fuse element applied to the top surface and a cover layer. The cover layer is made of an electrically insulating material having good caloric conductivity. The cover layer can be directly applied to the thick film fuse element and the adjoining zones of the top surface of the substrate. The cover layer can contain a glass having a specific caloric conductivity of &#x3e;2 W/mK. The cover layer can have a window disposed above a section of the fuse element, the section of the fuse element located within the window being at least partially covered by a solder containing layer.

Fuse component

The invention relates to a method for producing a protective component, for example a fuse component or a fusing resistor, including a fusible element and a heating element, which are attached as stacking components to the surface of a substrate. The fusible element is configured in such a way that a current flow between its connections is interrupted, if the fusible component is heated, at least in one fusible region, for a predetermined time period to above a predetermined temperature. The fusible element and the heating element are arranged on the substrate in such a way, that heat created by the heating element is transported to the fusible element and the current flow through the heating element exceeds a threshold value for a predetermined time period. During production, the heating element is positioned next to the fusible element, at a predetermined distance from it. A predetermined, local thermal capacitance is set, at least approximately, at the location of the heating element and is coupled to the latter. Alternatively, a predetermined, local thermal capacitance is set at least at one predetermined location between the heating element and the fusible element. The capacitance accumulates part of the heat that is dissipated from the heating element to the fusible element. This produces, at least approximately, a defined time response of the thermal transmission from the heating element to the fusible element.

Method of providing a protective component with an adjusted time characteristic of the thermal transfer from a heating element to a fusible element

A fuse component () has a fusible conductor () which extends in a gas filled cavity () within a cylindrical tube () between two end surfaces (). Two end caps () of an electrically conductive material are applied to the ends of the tube () so that an electrical contact is produced with the fusible conductor (). At at least one of the two ends of the tube (), a sealing body of a plastic material, which is predominantly elastically compressible but at the same time capable of creep, is introduced into a gap between the base of the end cap and the end surface () of the tube () and into a portion of the cavity adjacent to the cap base. The sealing body has been compressed between the end surface () and the cap base during the manufacture of the fuse component () when positioning the end cap (). The compressed sealing body () attempts to expand again, whereby it expands principally into the cavity (). If a sudden pressure rise occurs in the cavity shortly after its introduction during the manufacturing process as a result of a temperature increase, it can occur that this overpressure balances out into the external surroundings via a temporarily formed passage between the tube, the sealing body and the end cap. The passage which is formed is then sealed again as a result of the ability of the plastic material to creep.

Tubular fuse component with end caps with a hermetically sealing plastic sealing body insert

A fuse element includes a fusible conductor which extends within a gas filled cavity in a cylindrical tube. The fuse element includes a cylindrical tube comprising, an electrical insulator between two end faces of the tube, two end caps of an electrically conductive material being applied to the two ends of the tube such that an electrical contact is produced with the fusible conductor. At least one respective sealing element is inserted in at least one of the two ends in a space between the cap base and the end face of the tube and/or into a portion of the cavity of the tube adjacent to the end face such that one or more pressure balancing passages remain between the gas filled cavity within the tube and the external surroundings of the fuse element. The one or more pressure balancing passages are of such small cross-section that changes in pressure in the cavity are balanced only very slowly. A sudden increase in pressure in the cavity, such as occurs as a result of an arc, which is produced when the fusible conductor ruptures, can act to quench the arc.

Fuse element with a temporary quasi-hermetic seal of its interior

An electrical fuse element ( ), which comprises a substrate ( ) with two contacts ( ) arranged on opposite end sides ( ), terminal areas ( ) connected to the contacts and a fusible conductor ( ) electrically connected in a conducting manner to the contacts via the terminal areas, is developed for use in higher voltage ranges, with improved breaking capacity and with low production costs, by the terminal areas ( ) and the fusible conductor ( ) being arranged separated from one another by an insulator ( ) and electrically connected to one another via lead-throughs.

Growing community of inventors

Dortmund, Germany

Andreas Baus