Emerson Electric Company

Micro Devices LLC

Emil Robert Plasko

Phillip Edward Merrill

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a housing carrying an electrically insulating end plug provided with an opening passing therethrough and in which a portion of a conductive lead is disposed so that opposite ends of the lead extend beyond opposed ends of the plug and respectively define a fixed contact inside the housing and a terminal outside the housing, the portion of the lead being retained in the opening by a sealing compound disposed in the opening and extending around the portion of the lead and interlocking therewith to tend to prevent axial movement of the lead into the housing as well as to tend to prevent rotational movement of the lead relative to the end plug. The portion of the lead has a series of at least two convolutions that interlock with the sealing compound in the opening of the end plug. The two convolutions respectively have apexes that respectively engage the internal surface of the end plug substantially on opposite sides thereof.

Thermally actuatable electrical switch construction, conductive lead

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a resilient contact member normally biased into electrical contact with a stationary contact member while a temperature sensitive member of the construction is in a solid condition and normally tending to spring out of contact with the stationary contact member by the natural bias of the resilient contact member when the temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid by sensing a temperature above a predetermined temperature. The construction carries a guide member operatively associated with the resilient contact member to provide a guide for the resilient contact member that will substantially insure that the resilient contact member will move and be maintained out of contact with the stationary contact member after the temperature sensitive member has been rendered non-solid. The guide member comprises a spring engaging and acting on the resilient contact member to tend to pull the resilient contact member out of contact with the stationary contact member.

Thermally actuatable electrical switch construction and method of making

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a deformable contact member normally disposed in electrical contact with a stationary contact member while a temperature sensitive member of the construction is in a solid condition and being deformed out of contact with the stationary contact member by deforming means of the construction when the temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid by sensing a temperature above a predetermined temperature, the deformable contact member being deformed in a direction toward the temperature sensitive member by the deforming means when the temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid and being carried by a lead that projects into the switch construction whereby the lead and the deformable contact member define a subassembly that is adapted to be initially inserted into the construction to be secured thereto.

Method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction

Thermally actuatable electrical switch subassembly thereof

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a conductive open ended casing receiving an insulating sleeve in the open end thereof and a lead carrying insulating end plug disposed within the sleeve to close the open end of the casing. A sealing compound seals the casing to the sleeve external to the sleeve and the casing, the sealing compound also sealing the sleeve to the lead external to the sleeve and the lead.

Sealed casing for a thermally actuable electrical switch

A collapsible pellet thermal limiter construction having an electrical switching unit that changes its condition when the pellet melts by being heated to a certain temperature for the particular pellet and having an epoxy material sealing one end of the casing of the construction. A filler material is disposed in the epoxy material and is in the order of approximately 4% to approximately 6% by weight of the epoxy material when the pellet has a particular melting temperature other than approximately 208.degree., 244.degree., 298.degree. F. or 358.degree. F.

Temperature responsive electrical switch construction and method of

An electrical protection unit having a plurality of main leads for respectively interconnecting a plurality of lines of an electrical power source to at least one electrically operated unit. At least one main lead has a device therein for opening the respective lead when the device is activated. The one main lead has one side of an electrical circuit interconnected thereto with the other side of the circuit being adapted to be interconnected to ground, the circuit having means for activating the device when the circuit is operatively interconnected to ground. Control means are provided for operatively interconnecting the circuit to ground.

Electrical protection means and method

A collapsible pellet thermal limiter construction having an electrical switching unit that changes its condition when the pellet melts by being heated to a certain temperature for the particular pellet and having an epoxy material sealing one end of the casing of the construction. A filler material is disposed in the epoxy material and is in the order of approximately 4% to approximately 6% by weight of the epoxy material when the pellet has a particular melting temperature other than approximately 208.degree. F., 244.degree. F., 298.degree. F. or 358.degree. F.

A thermal limiter construction having a casing provided with an insulating end plug carrying a conductor with an enlarged contact head inside said casing and against which spring controlled sliding contact means in the casing normally engages to conductively interconnect the casing and the conductor together. A washer-like member is telescopically disposed about the contact head and is disposed between the sliding contact means and a spring that acts between the sliding contact means and the end plug to tend to move the sliding contact means away from the contact head whereby the washer-like member separates the spring from the sliding contact means. Such sliding contact means can comprise a plurality of conductive balls disposed in a circular array in the casing.

Method of making thermal limiter construction

A thermally actuatable switch construction having a relatively thin and long and wide housing provided with a similarly shaped chamber therein and a pair of terminals extending into the chamber. A contact member is disposed in the chamber for respectively engaging and thereby electrically interconnecting the terminals together when the contact member is in one position in the chamber and for respectively moving away from contact with the terminals to thereby electrically disconnect the terminals from each other when the contact member is in another position in the chamber. A temperature sensitive member is disposed in the chamber and is adapted to collapse when the same is at a predetermined temperature. A biasing member is disposed in the chamber and is operatively associated with the temperature sensitive member and the contact member to hold the contact member in the one position thereof as long as the temperature sensitive member is in an uncollapsed condition thereof, the contact member extending substantially from side-to-side in the chamber.

Thermally actuatable electrical switch construction

A thermally actuatable switch having a housing provided with a pair of leads, one of the leads having a contact and the other of the leads having a spring blade for making contact with the contact to complete an electrical circuit between the leads. The spring blade has a normal bias to move the same out of contact with the contact to open the circuit. A temperature sensitive member is carried by the housing and is adapted to collapse when the same is at a predetermined temperature. A biasing member is operatively associated with the temperature sensitive member and the spring blade to resiliently hold the spring blade in contact with the contact as long as the temperature sensitive member is in an uncollapsed condition thereof whereby the biasing member substantially compensates for any shrinkage and/or deterioration of the temperature sensitive member during its uncollapsed life and thus maintains the spring blade in contact with the contact.

Thermally actuatable switch construction

Electrical protection means

This invention relates to a self-contained thermal limiter construction which can be used to limit one or more electrical circuits and comprises a thermally responsive device having leads for being interconnected into such electrical circuit or circuits and one or more of electrically operated heaters disposed adjacent the device and each being adapted to cause the device to open the circuit or circuits when heated by the respective heater a certain amount.

Growing community of inventors

Washington Township, OH, United States of America

Emil Robert Plasko