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Class 337/365 - Snap-action


Subclass of Class 337 - Electricity: electrothermally or thermally actuated switches
Definition: Subject matter wherein the claimed structure includes means
No. of patents: 123
Last issue date: 02/09/2010


1        
NumberTitleIssue Date
7659805Thermostat
A thermostat has a movable place where a spring point and a securing plate portion are integrally formed. The spring point is provided with a movable contact at a position that faces a fixed contact, a protrusion with which a bimetal that counter turns comes into co...
02/09/2010
7372356Concealed adjustable temperature switch
A concealed adjustable temperature switch includes a fixed plate, an adjusting block threadedly engaged with a screw hole of the fixed plate, a bimetal plate, and a metal plate. Mounted on the adjusting block are upper and lower positioning rings and a fixing ring b...
05/13/2008
7339454Tensile-stressed microelectromechanical apparatus and microelectromechanical relay formed therefrom
A microelectromechanical (MEM) apparatus is disclosed which includes a shuttle suspended above a substrate by two or more sets of tensile-stressed beams which are operatively connected to the shuttle and which can comprise tungsten or a silicon nitride/polysilicon c...
03/04/2008
7312678Micro-electromechanical relay
The present invention provides a micro-electromechanical relay that can produce low electrical contact resistance, and is capable of mechanical latching. More specifically, the present invention combines the clamping actions of cantilever beams with a movable shuttl...
12/25/2007
7301434Thermally responsive electrical switch
A motor protector (10) is shown having an elongated generally cup-shaped metallic housing (12) formed by a top wall (12a) and a side wall (12b) extending down from the perimeter of the top walls, the free end of which is wel...
11/27/2007
7292131Heat-sensitive switch and a heat-sensitive switch assembling method
A heat-sensitive switch includes a first terminal, a second terminal away from the first terminal, a reverse spring reversing at a set temperature and having an opening part and positioned between the first and second terminals, and a junction spring positioned betw...
11/06/2007
7283030Doubly-anchored thermal actuator having varying flexural rigidity
A doubly-anchored thermal actuator for a micro-electromechanical device such as a liquid drop emitter or a fluid control microvalve is disclosed. The thermal actuator is comprised of a base element formed with a depression having opposing anchor. A deformable elemen...
10/16/2007
7236334Repeatable ESD protection utilizing a process for unshorting a first shorting material between electrical pads and reshorting by recreating the short
A method for shorting, unshorting, and reshorting an electronic component such as an MR sensor provides a repeatable ESD protection scheme. A conductive line of an electrically conductive first shorting material is created between electrical leads operatively couple...
06/26/2007
7210846Thermostat housing assembly
A thermostat housing assembly (10, 100) includes a housing (12, 102) having a flange (16, 106) for mounting the housing (12, 102) on a support structure and a tubular spout (18, 108) extending from the flange (16, 106) and d...
05/01/2007
7209337Electrical thermal overstress protection device
An electrical current overstress protection device for use with a power source and an overload protection switch comprising a main conductor member receiving current from the power source; a parallel conductor member connected to the main conductor member; and an ar...
04/24/2007
7192187In-line thermometer
An improved temperature measuring device for the in-line temperature measurement of fluids which does not require intimate contact of the fluid with the temperature sensing element. In addition, the invention contains no internal cavities or crevices making it very ...
03/20/2007
7170376Electrical switching apparatus including a housing and a trip circuit forming a composite structure
A circuit breaker includes a molded housing, separable contacts, an operating mechanism adapted to open and close the separable contacts, and a trip circuit cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts. The molded housing includes two...
01/30/2007
7138594Push switch
A push switch includes an insulative housing (1), a pair of fixed terminals (2), a moveable contact (3) and an actuator(4). The insulative housing (1) made of insulative material has a base (10), a plurality of periphery wal...
11/21/2006
7109840Protector for electrical apparatus
A protector (10) particularly useful for wye-connected three phase electrical motors has a header (12) mounting first and second terminal pins (14) to which L-shaped pin heaters (16) are mounted along with stationary electrical contacts (...
09/19/2006
7102480Printed circuit board integrated switch
A printed circuit board includes a first layer on which a first stationary contact terminal is formed and one or more second layers spaced apart from the first layer by at least one intermediate layer. A portion of the one or more second layers extends into a recess...
09/05/2006
7102481Low current electric motor protector
A low current motor protector (10, 10′) has an oblong metal housing (12) defining a switch chamber and formed with an open end. The housing has opposing flange portions extending transversely from the open end. Spaced apart lid portions (18...
09/05/2006
7087866Radiant heater in a cooking hob with a thermal switch
The electric radiant heater (1) adapted to a cooking hob is attached to the cooking plate (2a) forming with it an air cavity (13) inside which the extended heating resistor (5) is housed on an insulating base (4). A peripher...
08/08/2006
7075403Motor protector particularly useful with hermetic electromotive compressors
A protector (1) has a metal header (30) that mounts a first terminal (31) and a second terminal (32) electrically isolated from one another. A metallic housing (10) is fixed to the header (30) and forms a chamber. A stationa...
07/11/2006
7075209Compliant bistable micromechanism
A method for designing and optimnizing compliant mechanisms is provided, in addition to bistable compliant mechanism designs. According to the method, a selected compliant structure may be modeled analytically, and the characteristics of the analytical model may be ...
07/11/2006
7071809Thermal fuse containing bimetallic sensing element
A non-resetable, bimetallic thermal switch. The bimetallic thermal switch includes a bimetallic element, first and second electrical contacts, and a component for electrically connecting and disconnecting the first and second electrical contacts based on movement of...
07/04/2006
7026907Thermal protector
A thermal protector includes a partition wall which encloses an arrangement portion of a movable contact and a fixed contact from three sides. The partition wall is adjacent the contacts in a range that does not inhibit the opening/closing operations of the contacts...
04/11/2006
6995647Low current electric motor protector
A low current motor protector (10, 10′) has an oblong metal housing (12) defining a switch chamber and formed with an open end. The housing has opposing flange portions extending transversely from the open end. Spaced apart lid portions (18...
02/07/2006
6911891Bistable actuation techniques, mechanisms, and applications
A bistable structure provided by the invention is characterized as including a deflection element that has mechanically constrained end points and a compliant span between the end points that is substantially free to deflect between two stable positions when a force...
06/28/2005
6768412Snap action thermal switch
A simplified snap-action micromachined thermal switch having a bimodal thermal actuator fabricated from non-ductile materials such as silicon, glass, silicon oxide, tungsten, and other suitable materials using MEMS techniques. ...
07/27/2004
6762667Micro electromechanical switch having self-aligned spacers
A method of fabricating and the structure of a micro-electromechanical switch (MEMS) device provided with self-aligned spacers or bumps is described. The spacers are designed to have an optimum size and to be positioned such that they act as a detent mechanism for t...
07/13/2004
6756876Circuit interrupter and method
A current interrupter (10, 10′) includes bimetallic member (18) as a switching member having a formed portion (18a) providing snap action movement between oppositely dished configurations. An integrally formed extended length portion (
06/29/2004
6734782Switching device with an actuator element consisting of a shape memory alloy
A switching device includes a strip-shaped actuator element including a shape memory alloy, which is connected to a movable contact part of a switching contact. It is intended that an at least largely extended shape has been impressed into the actuator element at an...
05/11/2004
6724293Device having a temperature-dependent switching mechanism provided in a cavity
A device has an electrical load and a cavity for receiving a temperature-dependent switching mechanism in order to protect the load from overtemperature and/or overcurrent. In the cavity there is a first countercontact for the switching mechanism which is electrical...
04/20/2004
6703917Resettable fuse/circuit interrupter with visual fault indication
A circuit interrupter device protects a load circuit from excessive, or overloading levels of current, provides a visual indication of circuit overload and open circuit, and can be reset. A multi-metallic heat reactive strip is snapped by an overload curr...
03/09/2004
6633222Battery breaker
There is provided a battery breaker comprising a case, a fixed contact which is mounted to the inner bottom surface of one end of the case and is connected to a terminal extending from the case outwards, an elastic movable piece which is mounted such that...
10/14/2003
6538553Switching element for electric switch
A switching element of a sheet of resilient metal having high and low heat-expansive sides, the switching element having a middle leg carrying an electric contact for making and breaking a circuit with a stationary contact on a substrate below, first and ...
03/25/2003
6525641Defrost on demand thermostat
A temperature responsive switch includes a housing, an actuator arm for movement in response to temperature conditions, a movable contact, and an adjustable contact connected to a defrost terminal for completing a defrost circuit on demand without requiri...
02/25/2003
6498559Creepless snap acting bimetallic switch having step adjacent its bimetallic element
A bimetallic switch comprising a bimetallic element having an outer edge and being adapted to snap between an open mode and a closed mode; a movable contact disposed on the bimetallic element; a first terminal in electrically conductively coupled to the m...
12/24/2002
6456190Device for micromechanical switching of signals
The invention refers to a micromechanical switching device including at least two contact elements (11, 12, 31, 32), which are provided at least partly movable relative each other and via thermal actuation can be closed and opened, whereby the contact ele...
09/24/2002
6384707Bistable micro-switch and method for manufacturing the same
The present invention provides a bistable switch using a shape memory alloy, and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, the bistable switch includes a substrate having at least one power source; a flexible sheet having a first distal end ...
05/07/2002
6342827Thermal fuse for fixing on a circuit substrate
In order to obtain a self-restoring fuse, it is proposed that a planar thermal bimetal snap element (1, 9) is provided that is secured on the circuit substrate (4) with refractory solder on the basis of at least one solder location and that is thermally c...
01/29/2002
6252492Condition-responsive electric switch mechanism
A condition-responsive electric switch mechanism for use in controlling a compressor of a refrigeration appliance. The switch mechanism includes first, second and third terminals, an actuator movable as a function of a detected condition and a bistable sp...
06/26/2001
6249210Switch having an insulating support
A switch has an insulating support on which a first and a second external terminal are arranged, and a temperature-dependent switching mechanism that, as a function of its temperature, makes between the first and the second external terminal an electrical...
06/19/2001
6239685Bistable micromechanical switches
A bistable micromechanical switch that includes a substrate, at least two anchor points formed on the substrate, and a beam structure that includes a two-material beam attached to at least two anchor points. The two-material beam has a first portion, a se...
05/29/2001
6191680Switch having a safety element
A switch (10') has one first and at least one second external terminal (11, 14) as well as a temperature-dependent switching mechanism (19) that makes, as a function of its temperature, an electrically conductive connection between the two external termin...
02/20/2001
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