THERMALLY ACTUATED MEMBER AND THERMAL PROTECTOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermally actuated member of low electric resistance which inversely operates repeatedly without degrading an initial operation stroke even if it is worked into a very small thermally actuated element, and to provide a thermal protector which is smaller, with a longer operation life. SOLUTION: The thermally actuated member has a laminate of a high thermal-expansion metal layer and a low thermal-expansion metal layer and a coat of a high conductive thin film of high conductivity, comprising at least one element over the surface of the high thermal-expansion metal layer side and/or low thermal-expansion metal layer side. The thickness of the high conductive thin film is preferred to be 1.5-10μm. A thermal protector is so configured that a movable contact provided to one end or both ends of the thermally actuated element formed with the thermally actuated member comes away from a fixed contact due to deformation of the thermal actuated element in overheating. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO