Casing Or Housing Readily Openable And/or Separable From Element Patents (Class 338/232)
  • Patent number: 8174354
    Abstract: A thermistor device includes include supports, contacts and offset posts configured to assist the fracturing of failed thermistor “pills” and to distribute the fragments of the fractured pills into compartment away from electrically conductive contacts in order to minimize arcing and overheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Sensata Technologies Massachusetts, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan F. Cohen, Gabriel Porto, Simon C. Kwok, Christian V. Pellon
  • Patent number: 7109841
    Abstract: A surface-mount positive temperature coefficient thermistor includes a disk-shaped positive temperature coefficient thermistor element having electrodes provided on opposing main surfaces thereof, an insulating case having an inner space with the thermistor element inserted therein, and a pair of metal terminals arranged to make electrical contact with the respective main surface electrodes of the thermistor element, and to sandwich therebetween the thermistor element. The insulating case includes a pair of main surfaces that are substantially parallel to the main surfaces of the thermistor element, a pair of opening side surfaces each having an opening, and a pair of end surfaces each having a terminal insertion hole provided therein. One end of each of the pair of metal terminals is inserted from the respective terminal insertion holes into the inner space, and the metal terminals press-hold the thermistor element so as to sandwich the thermistor element therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Haga, Hiroki Tanaka, Toshiharu Hirota, Hiroshi Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20020118092
    Abstract: An inexpensive positive temperature coefficient thermistor has metal terminals which have been miniaturized without deteriorating the characteristics or sacrificing the reliability of the device. The metal terminals include supporting members and springs constructed such that a total width of the supporting members is smaller than a total width of the springs. In addition, connecting portions at the upper ends of the metal terminals engage with a case main body or a covering member to be retained at predetermined positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Tanaka, Yoshinori Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20010054949
    Abstract: A positive thermistor element is supported by being clamped by first and second resilient contact members that are opposed to each other so as to be disposed along a diagonal and first and second positioning protrusions that are opposed to each other so as to be disposed along the other diagonal of the positive thermistor element. The first resilient contact member is located toward the periphery of the positive thermistor element from the second positioning protrusion and the second resilient contact member is positioned toward an inner portion of the positive thermistor element from the first positioning protrusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Applicant: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Mochida, Toshikazu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6242998
    Abstract: An NTC thermistor is formed with a planar NTC thermistor element, a pair of power-supply terminals and a case which encloses the thermistor element and the terminals inside. The planar NTC thermistor has electrodes formed on a mutually opposite pair of side surfaces and each contacted by one of the power-supply terminals. At least one of the main surfaces of the planar NTC thermistor makes a surface-to-surface contact with an inner wall of the case such that the effective thermal capacity of the thermistor element is increased. Such an NTC thermistor, when inserted in series between an electrical power source and an electrical heat source, say, of an electronic copier, can effectively suppress rush currents when the power source is switched on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenjiro Mihara
  • Patent number: 6232869
    Abstract: An FBT (fly-back transformer), its bleeder resistor (installed on the top of the FBT), and a device for coupling the bleeder resistor are disclosed. The bleeder resistor 100 is accommodated within a resistor case 180, and the resistor case 180 is installed on the top of an FBT case 110. A resistor pattern 140 is printed on the substrate 130 of the bleeder resistor 100. Openings 150 are formed within the wavy portions of the resistor pattern 140, and the resistor case 180 has a plurality of isolating sheets 160 within its interior 170, so that the isolating sheets 160 can be inserted into the openings 150. When manufacturing the bleeder resistor, the glass coating, the baking, the epoxy resin dipping are eliminated, but the voltage breakdown resisting property is improved. Further, the manufacturing cost is lowered owing to the simplification of the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae Sung Choi
  • Patent number: 6208233
    Abstract: An improved IDC trim resistor connector assembly made up of a generally open top cup shape connector with side wall slots and an interior first array of terminal posts arranged for passage therethrough of a first lead wire of sensor circuitry. A first stamped metal IDC terminal is push-on mounted on the terminal posts for IDC cradling and electrically and mechanically receiving and connecting to the first lead wire. A conventional trim resistor substrate is loose mounted but accurately positioned on the connector bottom wall and has an “E” pattern of resistive material adapted for center leg laser trimming to calibrate the associated sensor circuitry. A first IDC terminal spring leg overlap contacts one side leg of the trim resistor E-pattern and thereby spring clamps the resistor substrate. A cover is snap-latch mounted on the connector and has an access opening to enable laser trimming of the trim resistor after cover installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Stein, Sr., Rick Loutzenhiser, Mark D. McCall
  • Patent number: 6172593
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Mochida, Yoshihiro Yamada, Haruo Takahata
  • Patent number: 6147310
    Abstract: A holder (200) for holding an electronic component (100), which can be inserted into and removed from the holder (200), is formed to be both electrically and thermally insulative. The holder (200) is formed from an insulative body molded to form a cavity (205) into which the electronic component (100) can be inserted. The insulative body includes sidewalls (210) formed to partially enclose the electronic component (100) when it is inserted into the holder (200) and a bottom surface (250) formed perpendicularly with the sidewalls (210). The bottom surface (250) defines at least two apertures (225) through which terminals (110) of the electronic component (100) can extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
    Inventor: William G. Mahoney
  • Patent number: 5990779
    Abstract: A thermistor for surface mounting includes a first conductive terminal member, a case having a top opening, a planar thermistor element having electrodes on mutually opposite main surfaces thereof, and a second conductive terminal member having at one end thereof a planar cover part which is attached to the top part of the case. One end of the first terminal member is positioned inside the case and above its bottom member. The other ends of the first and second terminal members are positioned on the bottom surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayo Katsuki, Yuichi Takaoka, Kiyofumi Torii, Akira Toba, Osamu Watanabe, Kouichi Tatsuoka, Masaru Nakagawa, Masahiro Yokota, Shinji Omura, Hiroshi Ohta
  • Patent number: 5841341
    Abstract: A dielectric clip for holding a PTC device is dimensioned and shaped to occupy a three-dimensional space envelope that provides a close fit in a fuse socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Therm-O-Disc, Incorporated
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. West
  • Patent number: 5539857
    Abstract: A heating block made from a heat conductive material has a passage through which a fluid heated by the heater can flow. A groove preferably having a looped configuration extends into the block from a peripheral surface in the block. A heater made from an electrically conductive and heat conductive material is disposed in the groove, preferably in a looped configuration corresponding to the looped configuration of the groove. A heat conductive member disposed in the groove is provided with a hole to receive the heater in an enveloping relationship. The member may be defined by a pair of separable portions. The member is preferably disposed in the looped relationship in the groove. Localized deformation of the heating block holds the member and the heater in a fixed relationship with the block. The heater may deteriorate or become defective with extended usage and may have to be replaced. To accomplish this, the heater and the member may be removed as a unit from the block after removing the deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Caco Pacific Corporation
    Inventor: Alan N. McGrevy
  • Patent number: 5382938
    Abstract: A PTC element has at least one body and two electrodes. The body or bodies has/have and is/are two parallel surfaces, of an electrically conductive polymer composition with a positive temperature coefficient. At least one of the parallel surfaces on the body, or on one of the bodies, of polymer composition is in free contact with an electrode or with a parallel surface on another body of electrically conductive polymer composition. A pressure device exerts a pressure directed perpendicularly to the parallel surfaces on the body, or the bodies, on the electrodes. The pressure device is preferably provided with pressure-exerting devices with the ability to be resilient. After changing from a low resistance to a high resistance state, the PTC element returns to the initial resistance and is reusable after having been subjected to short-circuit currents. The parallel surfaces on the body, or the bodies, of polymer composition may be concentric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AB
    Inventors: Tomas Hansson, Per-Olof Karlstrom
  • Patent number: 5300917
    Abstract: A junction box incorporating an integrally formed shunt busbar. The shunt busbar incorporates a first pair of terminals to act as leads to couple the shunt busbar in a current loop of a circuit, and a second pair of terminals to couple a voltage sensing device across a portion of the shunt busbar. The voltage sensing device is preferably a high input impedance voltage comparator. The input impedance of the voltage comparator is great enough to negate the affect of the internal resistance of the mating terminals of the busbar. Furthermore, the second pair of terminals is located on the shunt busbar such that the terminal resistances thereof are outside of the current loop. The electrical busbar is preferably mounted in a suitable insulating housing. When the shunt busbar of the present invention is connected to the high input impedance voltage comparator, a circuit path that allows for easily and accurately measuring the voltage drop across the busbar is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Inventors: H. Winston Maue, Zenon Hotra, Tomoyuki Yamai
  • Patent number: 5233326
    Abstract: A positive temperature coefficient thermistor device comprises a pair of positive temperature coefficient thermistor elements, a common terminal plate having a heat conducting terminal member and a common terminal member and being sandwiched between the positive temperature coefficient thermistor elements, and a pair of terminal plates having spring terminal members for clamping the positive temperature coefficient thermistor elements. The common terminal member of the common terminal plate is formed to have a width between the heat conducting terminal member and an insertion hole in the mounting plate on which the positive temperature coefficient thermistor device is to be mounted that is no larger than necessary for its insertion in the insertion hole. A catch is provided on the heat conducting terminal member for engaging with a wall of the insulating case for preventing extraction of the common terminal plate from the insulating case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Nippon Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshimitsu Motoyoshi
  • Patent number: 5140298
    Abstract: A ceramic base component packaging assembly with high thermal transfer rates. The packaging assembly includes a molded plastic cover that receives spring washers, ceramic pads, resistive elements or other electronic components, and a thermally conductive ceramic base. The spring washers press the electronic elements against the ceramic base ensuring good thermal transfer. The ceramic base is an effective thermal conductor and electrical isolator for the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James C. Gordon, Eric P. Lovgren, Herman P. Meyer, Donald P. Rearick
  • Patent number: 5118308
    Abstract: A bus connector comprising a base, an upper shell and a terminal unit, wherein said upper shell has resistor chambers for holding resistors from a bus and an elongated board at the front bottom edge thereof which is tightly pressed on the bus main track to which the connector is connected to seal off dust, and wherein said terminal unit has four terminals made in the same shape and respectively retained in four parallel grooves on the bottom edge of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: Pan-International Industrial Cop.
    Inventors: Yun-Yu Liu, Jih-Bin Lin
  • Patent number: 5043696
    Abstract: A passive electric connector with BNC terminal plug, which includes a metal casing releasably covered with a metal cover board with a BNC terminal plug connected thereto by a chain. The metal casing is integrally formed with four BNC sockets through casting process, which BNC sockets are partly projecting out of the metal casing and have each a center shaft extending inside the metal casing with a resistor respectively secured thereto. The resistors which have each an one respectively connected to the center shafts of the four BNC sockets are respectively connected together. The BNC terminal plug has an internal cylindrical cap and an external insulator cap to effectively protect against radio frequency interference and electrical magnetic interference. A marking is made on the external insulator cap for identification of a pull-down resistor received inside the BNC terminal plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Inventor: Tsan-Chi Wang
  • Patent number: 4573010
    Abstract: An adaptor for supporting small thin film or fibrous samples of material between the electrodes of a resistivity cell is described which comprises a pair of stacked electrically insulating plates, each plate having a central electrode therethrough and presenting confronting conductive surfaces of known surface area for sandwiching the sample therebetween for resistivity measurement, and a guarding electrode on one confronting plate surface and surrounding the central electrode thereon for electrically contacting the guarding electrode of the resistivity cell; the plates may be hingedly joined along respective sides and include fittings to maintain the confronting electrode surfaces in concentric alignment with the sample therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Robert E. Barker, Jr., Daniel Y. Chen
  • Patent number: 3955170
    Abstract: A solid state switch particularly useful in assisting in the starting of permanent split capacitor (PSC) motors is disclosed in which a semiconductive element is used to affect the starting torque of the motor. The semiconductive element is a disk-shaped member composed of material having a relatively low resistance at temperatures below an anomaly point and a steeply sloped positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of resistivity at temperatures above the anomaly. The PTC element is mounted within a casing which comprises two identical interfitting halves and is in electrical connection with members which are combination contacts and terminals. The terminals extend through the casing wall and are provided with contact portions which engage the PTC element along an annular portion of the element near the outer periphery thereof. One contact is provided with spring fingers adapted to react against a wall of the casing to provide desired contact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1976
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Stephen P. Geishecker