Overcurrent switching device
US8860534B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H71/145
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An overcurrent switching device for an electric circuit to be monitored, which has interrupter contact means (14) constructed in such a manner that an interruption of the electric circuit is effected as a reaction to the exceeding of a predetermined current threshold, wherein the interrupter contact means have an expansion unit (16) realized by means of a magnetically active shape memory alloy material, which is loaded by a magnetic field (18) of a current flowing in the electric circuit, characterized in that the expansion unit (16; 30; 32; 34) mechanically driving a contact, particularly an interrupter contact (14), is provided adjacently to a coil-free current-carrying conductor section (10) of the electric circuit for magnetic interaction in such a manner that above the predetermined current threshold, a current flow in the current carrying conductor section generates a magnetic field which effects an expansion movement of the expansion unit which interrupts the electric circuit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.