A temperature-dependent switching mechanism for a temperature-dependent switch, comprising an electrically conductive contact member; a contact ring arranged around the contact member and movably mounted on the contact member; and a temperature-dependent bimetallic snap-action disc comprising a first through hole through which the contact member is passed, wherein the bimetallic snap-action disc is arranged on a first side of the contact ring and is movably mounted on the contact member.

There is provided a temperature switch in which a thermally actuated element operates in response to heat from a thermosensitive surface unrelated to an energization path and complexity of a structure is relatively low. The temperature switch includes: a thermally actuated element configured to be inverted in warping direction at a predetermined temperature; an elastic plate structure including a movable portion moving with inversion of the thermally actuated element; a fixed contact; and a movable contact provided on the movable portion and configured to come into contact with and separate from the fixed contact. The thermally actuated element is disposed outside a current path generated when the movable contact and the fixed contact are in contact with each other.

A battery housing can include a housing body defining a cavity sized and shaped to receive a cell for a battery, and a breaker coupled with the housing body. The battery housing can comprise a first electrical conductor at a first end portion of the housing body and electrically connected to the switch, the first electrical conductor configured to electrically connect to a first battery cell terminal of the cell. The battery housing can comprise a second electrical conductor at a second end portion of the housing body, the second electrical conductor configured to electrically connect to a second battery cell terminal of the cell to define a first electrical pathway between the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor. The battery housing can include a bypass conductor to define a second electrical pathway between the switch and the second electrical conductor.

An electrical breaker responsive to a fault condition is disclosed. A thermally-activated switch can be disposed between a first terminal and second and third terminals of the breaker. The switch can have a normal operating condition in which the first terminal is electrically connected to the second terminal. The switch can have a fault condition in which the first terminal is electrically connected to both the second terminal and the third terminal, causing a majority of the current to flow between the first terminal and the third terminal and a minority of the current to flow between the first terminal and the second terminal. The breaker can include a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistor between the first terminal and one of the second and third terminals. The thermally-activated switch can be integrated into a variety of structures, for example, a battery pack which can house one or more cells.

A protection device includes a movable arm, a fixed terminal, and a bimetallic member, and a casing that accommodates them, the bimetallic member is located either above or below the movable arm, one end of the bimetallic member applies force to one end of the movable arm, thereby holding one end of the movable arm and the fixed terminal in contact.

In a temperature-dependent switch having a switching mechanism that has a movable contact part which cooperates with a stationary counter contact and is moved by a spring part to which the movable contact part is electrically conductively connected, the switching mechanism produces an electrically conductive connection between the stationary counter contact and a second counter contact in a temperature-dependent manner. The switch is provided with an arc-shielding plate, which has no mechanical function, is arranged on an upper surface of the spring part and covers sections thereof.

A base member includes a terminal fixing part for blocking an entire surface of an opening part of a housing at a position further inner than an opening end part of the housing when the base member is inserted in the housing. A first electrode part formed by a tip part of two bent stages that are composed of a horizontal part, a vertical part, and a horizontal part and configured by bending a portion of a part of the fixed side fixed a conductive member, which is continuous with a first external connection terminal, in a direction perpendicular to a continuous direction.

A movable flat surface portion, which rises in conjunction with the upward movement of a facing surface, first causes an edge of the movable flat surface portion to abut a flat surface portion, second brings an entirety of a surface of the movable flat surface portion into intimate contact with the fixed flat surface portion as a result of the movable flat surface portion acting against elastic resistance thereof in accordance with upward inertia, third forms, in accordance with a restoring force resulting from the elastic resistance thereof, a gap in the intimate contact with the fixed flat surface portion in a manner such that the forming of the gap starts with an end side continuous with the end of the facing surface, and fourth stabilizes a position shape such that the edge of the movable flat surface portion is a portion that ultimately comes into contact with the fixed flat surface portion.

A temperature-dependent switching mechanism for a temperature-dependent switch, having a bimetal element, a spring element, an electrically conductive contact part, and at least one retaining claw. The contact part is provided at the spring element or fixed to the spring element. The at least one retaining claw is provided at the spring element or fixed to the spring element. The at least one retaining claw comprises a support surface. The bimetal element is configured to snap from a low-temperature configuration to a high-temperature configuration upon exceeding a response temperature, wherein the bimetal element is supported on the support surface in its high-temperature configuration.

A temperature-dependent switching mechanism for a temperature-dependent switch, having a temperature-dependent bimetal snap-action disc, a temperature independent snap-action spring disc, an electrically conductive contact member to which the bimetal snap-action disc and the snap-action spring disc are captively held, so that the bimetal snap-action disc, the snap-action spring disc and the contact member form a switching mechanism unit captively held together, and a switching mechanism housing which captively holds the switching mechanism unit. The switching mechanism housing surrounds the switching mechanism unit from a first housing side, a second housing side opposite the first housing side, and a housing peripheral side extending between and transverse to the first and second housing sides. The switching mechanism housing is configured as an at least partially open housing and includes an opening on the first housing side through which the contact member is accessible from outside the switching mechanism housing.