The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 31, 1984
Filed:
Nov. 13, 1981
Jiing-Liang Wu, Murrysville, PA (US);
Electric Power Research Institute, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A current limiting device including a housing in which a chamber is formed. A pair of spaced electrical terminals are located at opposite ends of the housing to be disposed in communication with the chamber. An electrically conductive fusible metal is disposed in the chamber to provide an electrically conductive path between the terminals. An insulating member is disposed in the chamber between opposite ends of the housing to define a flow passageway between the electrical terminals. The flow passageway may include a constricted portion that has a cross-sectional area and a length that is substantially less than the rest of the flow passageway defined by the insulating member such that with the occurrence of a fault current, vaporization of the fusible metal initially occurs in the constricted portion of the flow passageway. Expansion means are also provided for buffering the pressure rise in the chamber when the fusible metal is vaporized.