A circuit protection device including a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device and a backup fuse electrically connected in series with one another, the backup fuse comprising a quantity of solder disposed on a dielectric chip and having a melting temperature that is higher than a trip temperature of the PTC device, wherein the a surface of the dielectric chip exhibits a de-wetting characteristic relative to the solder such that, when the solder is melted, the solder draws away from the surface to create a galvanic opening in the backup fuse.

This disclosure refers to a method for confectioning resistors that each comprise a PTC ceramic plate and metallic electrode layers covering opposite faces of the ceramic plate, said method comprising the following steps: measuring an electrical resistance of a resistor to be confectioned by applying an electrical potential to one of electrode layers such that an electric current flows from one of the electrode layers through the ceramic plate to the electrode layer on the opposite face of the ceramic plate, comparing the measured resistance to a target resistance, and removing, if the measured resistance is lower than the target resistance, a section of at least one of the electrode layers. This disclosure also refers to such a resistor and a heating device comprising such resistors.

A surface-mountable over-current protection device comprises at least one PTC material layer, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, an insulating layer, and a cover layer. The PTC material layer comprises crystalline polymer and conductive fillers dispersed therein. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are disposed on a first surface and a second surface of the PTC material layer, respectively. The first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected to the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, respectively. The insulating layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode for insulation. The cover layer includes a fluorine-containing polymer, and wraps around an entire outer surface of the surface-mountable over-current protection device.

A resistance heater may include a polymer positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) material, arranged in a ring shape that defines a heater body; and an electrode assembly, comprising two or more electrodes arranged in contact with the heater body at two or more locations, wherein PPTC material comprises: a polymer matrix, the polymer matrix defining a PPTC body; and a conductive filler component, disposed in the polymer matrix.

A temperature-sensitive battery connector is disclosed. The connector can include a connector body and at least one conductor mounted to the connector body and configured to convey a current signal used to measure voltage from a battery pack or battery cell to a battery management system (BMS). The connector can include a thermal switching device mounted to the connector body and thermally coupled to a terminal of a battery pack or a battery cell. The thermal switching device can be configured to provide an overtemperature signal to the BMS by changing or interrupting a current conducted by at least one conductor when a temperature of the battery pack or battery cell exceeds a threshold temperature.

A chip ceramic semiconductor electronic component includes a ceramic body including a ceramic semiconductor, and a first surface and a second surface in contact with the first surface, the first outer electrode on the first surface of the ceramic body, and the second outer electrode covering the first outer electrode and extending onto the second surface of the ceramic body, in which an area of a first surface of the first outer electrode is less than about 0.17 mm.sup.2, and a hard particle made of a material harder than the first outer electrode is at the interface between the first and second outer electrodes.

A ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body, baked external electrodes, and plated external electrodes, and glass layers derived from a glass material included in a conductive paste of the baked external electrodes, are provided at interfaces between the baked external electrodes and the ceramic body, such that the glass layers extend from the interfaces between the ceramic body and the baked external electrodes to a surface of the ceramic body that does not contain the baked external electrodes.

A composite circuit protection device includes: a first positive temperature coefficient (PTC) component; a first voltage-dependent resistor (VDR); a second VDR; and a plurality of conductive leads that correspondingly connect to the first PTC component, the first VDR and the second VDR. The second VDR and the first PTC component are electrically connected in series, the first VDR is electrically connected to the series connection of the first PTC component and the second VDR in parallel, and the first VDR has a varistor voltage greater than that of the second VDR as determined at 1 mA.

A novel heater is disclosed for a temperature sensitive actuator. The heater is a polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) device consisting of conductive filler and semi-crystalline polymer. The PPTC heater is strategically designed to have a predetermined self-regulation temperature suited to whatever application utilizes the heater. Physical characteristics of the PPTC heater, such as gap width and thickness, enable the current flow through the heater to be strategically controlled.

A circuit protection device including a PTC device having a PTC element, first and second electrodes disposed on opposing first and second surfaces of the PTC element, respectively, first and second chip fuses disposed on the first and second electrodes, respectively, the second chip fuse electrically connected in series with the PTC device, and the first chip fuse electrically in connected parallel with the PTC device and the second chip fuse, the first chip fuse having a lower electrical resistance than the PTC element when the PTC element is in a non-tripped state, wherein a fusible element of the first chip fuse has a first melting temperature and is configured to carry a current higher than the PTC element can carry without tripping, and wherein a fusible element of the second chip fuse has a second melting temperature that is greater than the first melting temperature.