A transient electronic device includes electronic elements (e.g., an SOI- or chip-based IC) and a trigger mechanism disposed on a frangible glass substrate. The trigger mechanism includes a switch that initiates a large trigger current through a self-limiting resistive element in response to a received trigger signal. The self-limiting resistive element includes a resistor portion that generates heat in response to the trigger current, thereby rapidly increasing the temperature of a localized (small) region of the frangible glass substrate, and a current limiting portion (e.g., a fuse) that self-limits (terminates) the trigger current after a predetermined amount of time, causing the localized region to rapidly cool down. The frangible glass substrate is engineered such that a stress profile produced by the rapid heating/cooling of the localized region generates an initial fracture force that subsequently propagates throughout the glass substrate, whereby sufficient potential energy is released to powderize the electronic elements.

A protection element includes: a fuse element configured to be energized in a first direction, which is a direction from a first end portion of the fuse element to a second end portion of the fuse element; a shielding member including a plate-shaped part, configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the plate-shaped part viewed from the fuse element is divided to a first portion and a second portion at a contact position between the plate-shaped part and the rotation axis, and an area of the first portion and an area of the second portion are different from each other; and a case having therein a housing portion. Pressure elevation in the housing portion due to an arc discharge causes the shielding member to rotate around the rotation axis and the shielding member divides the housing portion.

A smart fuse for circuit protection includes a first shaft and second shaft separated by a gap. A heater is located inside portions of the first and second shafts, and the heater is held in place within the shafts by a solder alloy that fills the gap. The shafts and solder alloy form an electrical signal path through the fuse. A spring is attached to the heater. The spring is stretched such that the spring exerts a force on the heater. The solder alloy holds the heater in place and resists the force exerted by the spring. In an activation condition of the fuse, the heater increases in temperature and melts the solder alloy. The melted solder alloy no longer resists the force exerted by the spring, and the spring pulls the heater through the second shaft until the gap is open, thereby severing the electrical connection through the fuse.

This protection element is equipped with: a fuse element which conducts electricity in a first direction from a first end section toward a second end section; a shield member; and a case, the interior of which is provided with a storage section for storing the fuse element and the shield member. The shield member has a plate-shaped part which is positioned in a manner such that a first surface thereof faces the fuse element and a second surface thereof contacts a rotating shaft which extends in a second direction which intersects the first direction. The surface area of the plate-shaped part when viewed from the fuse element is configured in a manner such that a first surface area and a second surface area, which are obtained by dividing at the contact location between the plate-shaped part and the rotating shaft, differ from one another.