Destructible fuse elements

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT HAVING CAPACITANCE AND INDUCTANCE PROVIDING DIFFERENT TOTAL ENERGIES WHEREIN THE TOTAL ENERGY IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE SQUARE OF THE VOLTAGE OF SAID CIRCUIT, A FUSE LINK INTERCONNECTING A PAIR OF CONDUCTORS AND HAVING A PREDETERMINED FAILURE TIME OF THE ORDER OR LESS THAN THE SQUARE ROOT OF THE PRODUCT OF THE SAID CAPACITANCE AND INDUCTANCE COMPRISING A PIECE OF ELECTRICALLY NONCONDUCTIVE PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE, AND A PLURALITY OF FINE WIRES HAVING A HIGH CONDUCTIVITY AND FUSING POINT OF THE ORDER OF THAT OF COPPER, SAID WIRES BEING STUCK TO THE SURFACE OF SAID TAPE AND SAID TAPE BEING ATTACHED TO SAID CONDUCTORS AND MAINTAINING SAID WIRES IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT THEREWITH, THE NET RESISTANCE THROUGH SAID WIRES INITIALLY BEING A FIRST PREDETERMINED VALUE OFFERING NEGLIGIBLE IMPEDANCE TO CURRENT FLOW, AND THE TOTAL MASS OF SAID WIRES BEING SUCH THAT THE RATIO OF THE TOTAL ENERGY INITIALLY STORED IN THE CIRCUIT TO THE TOTAL MASS OF SAID WIRES IS A SECOND PREDETERMINED VALUE TO PROVIDE SAID PREDETERMINED FAILURE TIME.