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:
Nov. 22, 2005
Filed:
May. 07, 2004
Wayne Iltis, Austin, TX (US);
Donald Guthan, Round Rock, TX (US);
Wayne Iltis, Austin, TX (US);
Donald Guthan, Round Rock, TX (US);
Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
Information handling system peripherals that use a heating element are protected from catastrophic failure due to overheating by a thermal failsafe associated with the heating element that fails the heating element if excessive temperatures are reached. For instance, the failsafe releases the vacuum from a heating element bulb so that the application of power to the filament of the heating element bulb oxidizes the filament resulting in failure of the filament and ceasing of generation of heat. The failsafe includes a melting agent, such as wax or solder, which seals an opening in the bulb unless a thermal runaway temperature is reached in excess of a desired operating temperature. Alternatively, the failsafe includes an expanding agent, such as a ceramic or a liquid-filled bubble, which releases the vacuum by fracturing an opening in the bulb at the thermal runaway temperature. The thermal runaway temperature is selected to induce failure before catastrophic overheating of the peripheral.