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. 09, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 16, 1999
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Nagaokakyo, JP;
Abstract
A positive thermistor device includes a positive thermistor element having a pair of opposed electrodes, each of which receives compressive force elastically applied from a corresponding one of spring contact members to hold the thermistor element at a predefined position in the device. When the thermistor device is destroyed, the element breaks into fragments, some of which remain in contact with the spring contact members. The remaining fragments deviate in position to ensure that they do not conduct electricity, resulting in an open state, wherein any current flow is inhibited through such fragments. More specifically, a positive thermistor disk is held within the device so that it is interposed between conductive spring contact pieces and insulative position-alignment projections, which are cross-diagonally situated with respect to each other. The spring contact pieces are located further toward the periphery of the disk than the position-alignment projections, causing a spring force to extend in a direction generally outward relative to a direction perpendicular to the planes of the electrodes. In one embodiment, the position-alignment projections have cut-away portions at outer tip ends thereof respectively to further promote the formation of an open circuit state upon the occurrence of malfunction.