Claims
- 1. Electrical apparatus which comprises
- (1) a first laminar substrate and a second laminar substrate, each of said substrates comprising a first laminar surface and a second laminar surface;
- (2) a first electrical component which (i) is physically adjacent to the first laminar surface of the first laminar substrate, (ii) is in good thermal contact with the second substrate, (iii) has a resistance R.sub.1, and (iv) comprises
- (a) a laminar PTC element composed of a conductive polymer which exhibits PTC behavior with a switching temperature T.sub.s, and
- (b) at least two laminar electrodes which can be connected to a source of electrical power so that current passes between the electrodes through the PTC element;
- (3) a plurality of second electrical components, one of which
- (a) is physically adjacent to the second laminar surface of the first laminar substrate,
- (b) is in good thermal contact with the first component,
- (c) is electrically connected in series with the first component; and
- (d) has a resistance R.sub.2 ; and
- (4) an electrical lead which electrically connects an electrode of the first component in series with the said one second component.
- 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the said one second component is a thick film resistor.
- 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first component and the said one second component are mounted directly on the opposite surfaces of the substrate.
- 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, when electrical power flows through the first component, a thermal gradient induced in the PTC element is in the same direction as the direction of current flow through the PTC element.
- 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 which comprises (i) one first component, (ii) two second components, and (iii) two laminar substrates, wherein the first component is positioned adjacent one second component and each second component is physically adjacent to a different laminar substrate.
- 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the second components are thick film resistors.
- 7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the laminar substrates are alumina.
- 8. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the ratio of the total resistance at room temperature of the second components connected in series to the PTC element to the resistance at room temperature of the PTC element R.sub.1 is at least 20:1.
- 9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the total resistance at room temperature of the first component and the two second components is at most 500 ohms.
- 10. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the resistor if subject to a temperature exceeding a predetermined level is subject to damage and the PTC element is converted to a high resistance state below said predetermined level.
- 11. Apparatus according to claim 1 which is mounted on a printed circuit board.
- 12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first laminar substrate is electrically insulating.
- 13. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the resistor is ruthenium oxide.
- 14. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the resistor is a polymer thick film.
- 15. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus has a resistance of at most 500 ohms.
- 16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the apparatus has a resistance of at most 100 ohms.
- 17. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the second components has the same resistance R.sub.2.
- 18. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the said one second component is a thick film resistor.
- 19. Apparatus according to claim 1 which comprises (i) one first component, (ii) two second components, and (iii) two laminar substrates, wherein the first component is positioned between the two laminar substrates and each second component is physically adjacent to a different laminar substrate.
- 20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the second components are thick film resistors.
- 21. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the laminar substrates are alumina.
- 22. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the ratio of the total resistance at room temperature of the second components connected in series to the PTC element to the resistance at room temperature of the PTC element R.sub.1 is at least 20:1.
- 23. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the total resistance at room temperature of the first component and the two second components is at most 500 ohms.
- 24. An electrical circuit comprising
- (2) a power source;
- (2) an electrical load; and
- (3) a circuit protection device which is electrically in series with the load and which comprises
- (a) a first laminar substrate and a second laminar substrate, each of said substrates comprising a first laminar surface and a second laminar surface;
- (b) a first electrical component which is physically adjacent to the first laminar surface of the first laminar substrate and is in good thermal contact with the second laminar substrate, said first component comprising (i) a laminar PTC element composed of a conductive polymer which exhibits PTC behavior with a switching temperature Ts, and (ii) at least two laminar electrodes which can be connected to source of electrical power so that current passes between the electrodes through the PTC element;
- (c) a plurality of second electrical components, one of which (i) is physically adjacent to the second laminar surface of the first laminar substrate, (ii) is in good thermal contact with the first component, and (iii) is electrically connected in series with the first component;
- (d) an electrical lead which electrically connects an electrode of the first component in series with the said second component,
- said circuit having a normal operating condition in which the PTC conductive polymer composition of the circuit protection device is in its low temperature, low resistivity state.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 124,696, filed Nov. 24, 1987, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 115,089 filed Oct. 30, 1987 by Fang, Horsma, Peronnet, Fahey, Au and Carlomagno, now abandoned, which is in itself a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 754,807, filed Jul. 12, 1985 by Fahey, Au and Carlomagno, now abandoned in favor of a continuation application, Ser. No. 150,005, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,598. Ser. No. 754,807 is itself a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 628,945 now abandoned, filed Jul. 10, 1984 by William D. Carlomagno. This application is also related to application Ser. Nos. 07/455,715, pending and 07/456,036, pending, which are continuation applications of Ser. No. 124,696 and which are filed contemporaneously with this application. The disclosure of each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference.
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Continuations (1)
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124696 |
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Continuation in Parts (3)
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115089 |
Oct 1987 |
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