US4309685A — Thermally actuatable electrical switch constructi…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 129 words

In a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a resilient contact member normally biased into electrical contact with a stationary contact member while a temperature sensitive member of said construction is in a solid condition and normally springing out of contact with said stationary contact member by the natural bias of said resilient contact member when said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid by sensing a temperature above a predetermined temperature, the improvement comprising guide means carried by said construction and being operatively associated with said resilient contact member to provide a guide for said resilient contact member that will substantially insure that said resilient contact member will move and be maintained out of contact with said stationary contact member after said temperature sensitive member has been rendered non-solid.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 129 words

In a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a resilient contact member normally biased into electrical contact with a stationary contact member while a temperature sensitive member of said construction is in a solid condition and normally springing out of contact with said stationary contact member by the natural bias of said resilient contact member when said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid by sensing a temperature above a predetermined temperature, the improvement comprising guide means carried by said construction and being operatively associated with said resilient contact member to provide a guide for said resilient contact member that will substantially insure that said resilient contact member will move and be maintained out of contact with said stationary contact member after said temperature sensitive member has been rendered non-solid.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said guide means is movable in said construction to provide its guiding function only after said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein said guide means comprises spring means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said guide means comprises a tubular member that telescopes over said resilient contact member under the force of said spring means when said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said tubular member is cup-shaped.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 91 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stationary contact member comprises a conductive casing having an open end and an inside surface, an insulative plug disposed in said open end and closing the same, a conductive terminal member being carried by said plug and projecting into said casing, said resilient contact member being carried by said terminal member inside said casing whereby said resilient contact member is held into contact with said inside surface of said casing while said temperature sensitive member is solid.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 25 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said resilient contact member is integral and homogeneous with said terminal member.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 40 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said resilient contact member has a plurality of parts thereof that make contact with said inside surface of said casing when said temperature sensitive member is solid.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 34 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 8 wherein said parts of said resilient contact member make said contact with said inside surface of said casing on opposite sides thereof.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 111 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said guide means comprises a cup-shaped member slideable in said casing and having an open end facing toward said plug, said temperature sensitive member when solid comprising a pellet disposed in said open end of said cup-shaped member and substantially filling said cup-shaped member, a compression spring disposed in said casing and acting against said cup shaped member in a direction toward said plug, said resilient contact member engaging against said guide means when said pellet is solid and thereby being expanded radially outwardly into contact with said inside surface of said casing when said pellet is solid.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 140 words

In a method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a resilient contact member normally biased into electrical contact with a stationary contact member while a temperature sensitive member of said construction is in a solid condition and normally springing out of contact with said stationary contact member by the natural bias of said resilient contact member when said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid by sensing a temperature above a predetermined temperature, the improvement comprising the step of forming a guide means to be carried by said construction and be operatively associated with said resilient contact member to provide a guide for said resilient contact member that will substantially insure that said resilient contact member will move and be maintained out of contact with said stationary contact member after said temperature sensitive member has been rendered non-solid.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 140 words

In a method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction having a resilient contact member normally biased into electrical contact with a stationary contact member while a temperature sensitive member of said construction is in a solid condition and normally springing out of contact with said stationary contact member by the natural bias of said resilient contact member when said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid by sensing a temperature above a predetermined temperature, the improvement comprising the step of forming a guide means to be carried by said construction and be operatively associated with said resilient contact member to provide a guide for said resilient contact member that will substantially insure that said resilient contact member will move and be maintained out of contact with said stationary contact member after said temperature sensitive member has been rendered non-solid.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 45 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 11 and including the step of forming said guide means to be movable in said construction to provide its guiding function only after said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 12 and including the step of forming said guide means to comprise a spring means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 53 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 13 and including the step of forming said guide means to further comprise a tubular member that telescopes over said resilient contact member under the force of said spring means when said temperature sensitive member is rendered non-solid.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 14 and including the step of forming said tubular member to be cup-shaped.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 105 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 11 and including the steps of forming said stationary contact member to comprise a conductive casing having an open end and an inside surface, disposing an insulative plug in said open end to close the same, disposing a conductive terminal member to be carried by said plug and project into said casing, forming said resilient contact member to be carried by said terminal member inside said casing whereby said resilient contact member is held into contact with said inside surface of said casing while said temperature sensitive member is solid.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 16 and including the step of forming said resilient contact member to be integral and homogeneous with said terminal member.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 50 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 16 and including the step of forming said resilient contact member to have a plurality of parts thereof that make contact with said inside surface of said casing when said temperature sensitive member is solid.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 18 and including the step of forming said parts of said resilient contact member to make said contact with said inside surface of said casing on opposite sides thereof.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 125 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 16 and including the steps of forming guide means to comprise a cup-shaped member slideable in said casing and having an open end facing toward said plug, forming said temperature sensitive member when solid to comprise a pellet disposed in said open end of said cup-shaped member and substantially filling said cup-shaped member, disposing a compression spring in said casing and to act against said cup-shaped member in a direction toward said plug, and disposing said resilient contact member to engage against said guide means when said pellet is solid and thereby be expanded radially outwardly into contact with said inside surface of said casing when said pellet is solid.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 40 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 7 wherein said resilient contact member has a plurality of parts thereof that make contact with said inside surface of said casing when said temperature sensitive member is solid.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 34 words

A thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 21 wherein said parts of said resilient contact member make said contact with said inside surface of said casing on opposite sides thereof.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 50 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 17 and including the step of forming said resilient contact member to have a plurality of parts thereof that make contact with said inside surface of said casing when said temperature sensitive member is solid.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method of making a thermally actuatable electrical switch construction as set forth in claim 23 and including the step of forming said parts of said resilient contact member to make said contact with said inside surface of said casing on opposite sides thereof.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1985-01-04	1985-07-06	1986-01-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1989-01-04	1989-07-06	1990-01-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1993-01-04	1993-07-06	1994-01-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Thermally actuatable electrical switch construction and method of making the same

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