Laminated capacitor with fuse function

Claim 1

A laminated capacitor comprising: a dielectric laminated structure including a plurality of dielectric layers and having first and second end surfaces; a first set of internal electrodes each positioned at an interface between a respective pair of adjacent dielectric layers and each comprising a first capacitance forming portion and a first external connection portion electrically connected to said first capacitance forming portion and extending to said first end surface; a second set of internal electrodes each positioned at respective interfaces between adjacent pairs of dielectric layers, such that each of said dielectric layers is held between one of said second set of internal electrodes and an adjacent one of said first set of internal electrodes, and each of said second set of internal electrodes comprising a second capacitance forming portion opposed to said first capacitance forming portion and a second external connection portion electrically connected to said second capacitance forming portion and extending to said second end surface; first and second external electrodes formed on said first and second end surfaces, respectively, and electrically connected respectively to the first and second external connection portion; each electrode of each of said first and said second sets of internal electrodes comprising a fuse portion which electrically interconnects said capacitance forming portion and said external connection portion, said fuse portion being adapted to be melted earlier than said capacitor forming portion and said external connection portion by the Joule heat produced when a current higher than a predetermined value flows through the fused portion; and said fuse portion, said capacitance forming portion and said external connection portion are all positioned between said adjacent pair of dielectric layers.